Unfortunate Events?
by Ariel Lynn
Summary: After a night of celebration, Hermione blacks out and remembers nothing of what happened. As time passes and things change, she learns more about that night and herself. There's only one person who knows what happened...Draco Malfoy
1. Chapter 1: The Morning After

**A/N: Okay! Well it's been a while since I've written fanfiction, so I hope it's not too bad. I've got some good ideas for the rest of the story. Starting it was the hard part. Haha! Well I hope you enjoy and review! :]**

"Hermione! Wake up, Hermione!" she heard her boyfriend call out.

Hermione tossed and turned in bed, her legs getting tangled in the blankets. When she finally did come to, Hermione's eyes fluttered open and instantly recognized the shaggy red hair of Ronald Weasley. It was summer and she and Harry were staying with the Weasley's until they returned to Hogwarts for their final year of school. Yesterday had been the day she and Harry arrived at the Weasley home, so the three of them had gone to The Leaky Cauldron to celebrate. Although, Hermione could not recall anything from the night before. She didn't know what happened while they were there, when they left, where they went after that, or even how they got home.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron said as he sat down on the edge of the bed she slept in.

Hermione placed her hand on her forehead as she sat up. "I'm fine, I guess, but my head hurts and I don't remember anything about last night. What happened?"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances before Ron spoke up. "Well, actually we were hoping you could tell us. When we got to The Leaky Cauldron, we got our butterbeers, sat down, and talked. We told stories about old times and talked about what this year will be like and then you got up to go get another butterbeer. Although, you didn't come back for five hours. We tried looking for you, but you were no where to be found. When you did finally come back, you looked a little disheveled, but you seemed fine."

Hermione's eyes grew so big she thought they might pop out of her head. She had never been the kind of girl to walk off and disappear, especially for five hours. Of course she was worried about what might've happened, but she assumed it was nothing to worry about. "Hopefully it'll all come back to me."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. In the mean time, Mrs. Weasley wants to take us to Diagon Ally to get our school supplies."

Hermione nodded and motioned for the boys to leave. When they left, she climbed out of bed, walked over to her trunk, and pulled out a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt. She went back to her bed, laid the new clothes down, and proceeded to remove her white sleep shirt and blue pajama bottoms. As she dressed, she saw the door begin to slowly creep open.

"Ronald! You know you can't be in here!" Hermione yelled.

Instead, Ginny walked in, her cheeks turning a rosy colour. "Um. Sorry Hermione. I don't mean to disturb you. It's just Mum wanted me to make sure you were okay. She heard last night didn't go well."

Hermione sighed. "I'm fine, Ginny. My head hurts a little and I can't remember much, but I'm okay."

Ginny let out a small smile. "Okay. If you say so." With that, Ginny turned around and left, closing the door behind her.

With jeans and t-shirt on, Hermione bent over to put her socks and shoes on. "I wish I could remember what happened. It's hard not to worry that something bad could've happened," she sat up once her laces were tied tightly, "This is just not like me. I've never blacked out like this before." Deciding to just forget for now, she stood up, threw on her pink cotton jacket and made her way downstairs to the fireplace, where Mrs. Weasley waited. They hurried into the fireplace and traveled to Diagon Ally to meet up with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. When they arrived, the others had already made their way to Flourish and Blotts and were busy finding the books they needed. As they walked inside the bookstore, Hermione could see Ron and Harry looking through shelves of books.

Ron spotted her and waved at her, "Hey Hermione! I already picked out some of your books for you."

Hermione smiled as she joined her boyfriend and best friend. "Thanks, Ron," she then noticed a smaller, brown leather back book in Ron's hands, "What's that book?"

Ron looked down at small book she had mentioned and quickly placed one of his textbooks on top of it, "Oh that? Oh it's um…it's nothing. Just an book that I thought um…I thought Ginny might like it."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the blushing redhead in front of her, but ignored his strange attitude. Instead, she took her books, found the rest she needed, and purchased them. Afterwards, as Harry and the Weasley's made their way to visit Fred and George, Hermione continued on towards The Leaky Cauldron. _"Maybe someone there will remember seeing me last night…and maybe I can get this whole mystery solved,"_

she thought to herself, as she snaked her way through crowds of people back to the passageway. When she stepped inside, the chatter from dozens of people filled her ears. At the counter, Tom stood serving butterbeers to a group of teenagers. Hermione's spirits were lifted. _"Surely he, of all people, would remember seeing me last night."_

As she approached the counter, Tom smiled over at her. "Good day, Hermione! I see you've recovered from last night's adventures."

"What adventures? Sorry, but I don't quite remember much of last night," she stated, blushing slightly.

Tom scratched his head. "Well, I know you came up to the counter and ordered a butterbeer. It was very busy last night, so I couldn't get to it for a while. You waited, of course, and started talking to some cloaked being. It sounded like a man, but I wasn't too sure. Anywho, when I finally had a moment I went to fill your glass, but you were gone. The man you had been talking to told me he would take you the drink so I filled it and went back to business. I assumed he took the drink to you, but I don't know."

Hermione's eyes widened. "A cloaked man?" she thought back, trying to remember his face. Eventually, she gave up and sighed in disgust.

Tom frowned at her. "Sorry I'm not of much help."

She smiled at the man before her. "It's okay. You actually helped a little bit." With that, Hermione bid the man farewell and ran back to meet up with Harry and the Weasley's.


	2. Chapter 2: Scared Granger?

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I was really surprised to see them within 24 hours of posting! Haha. Anyway, here's Chapter 2! I had a hard time finding a good place to stop so it wouldn't to too long or short and it would still be enough to hook a reader. :P And btw: the 000 stands for a change of time. For example: going from one day to another. Enjoy and review!**

Hermione sat, trying to read one of her new textbooks, while the boys and Ginny were all playing Quidditch. Unfortunately, she had been "reading" the same sentence for an half an hour. Her mind couldn't focus. They would be leaving for Hogwarts in the morning and she hadn't prepared herself at all. No studying. No packing. Anytime she tried, her mind wandered back to what Tom had told her. The more she thought about it, the more the mysterious cloaked man began to scare her. He even began to invade her dreams at night, creating false depictions of what had happened. At least, she hoped they were false.

Upset by her lack of concentration, Hermione slammed the book shut and laid her head face down on it. _"Get a hold of yourself, Granger! You're letting this get to the best of you!" _she thought, angrily.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" she heard Ron ask. They had apparently stopped playing as it was close to dinner time. Unable to control herself, she stood up glaring.

"I'm fine! Just leave me alone already!" and with that, Hermione ran straight up to her stay room, her eyes watering. Once inside, she locked the bedroom door and threw herself onto her bed, shoving her face into the pillow. Her tears began to soak the pillow as she cried loudly into it. Of course she wasn't mad at Ron. Why would she be? The only person she was mad, no…furious at was herself. Furious that she would go alone with some stranger. Furious that she would go and not remember a thing of what happened! And now furious that she was taking her frustration out on, of all people, Ron! When crying no longer eased her anger, she screamed into the pillow as loud as she could. Feeling slightly relieved, she screamed again.

"Hermione? HERMIONE!" Ron's voice sounded worried coming from the other side of the door.

Hermione sat up and yelled, "Go away!" Her heart twinged as she yelled at him, but she was too much of a mess to face either Ron or Harry.

"Hermione? It's Ginny. May I come in?" said Ginny's sweet and caring voice.

"Yes, please. But make them leave!" Hermione felt okay to talk to Ginny. It didn't mind her to let Ginny see her like she was. When Hermione heard the door unlock, she hid her face incase Ron and Harry were still standing there.

"It's okay. They went downstairs," Ginny told her. She relocked the door and sat down on the bed with Hermione before she spoke again. "What's wrong with you, Hermione? Ron's worried sick. Everyone is!"

Tears welled up again. "I know, I know! I'm just…. Ever since Tom, from The Leaky Cauldron, told me about what happened that night, I haven't been able to concentrate on anything!" she laid her head down on her knees.

Ginny frowned and patted her on the shoulder. "What did he tell you?"

Hermione shook her head, "He didn't know much. All he saw was me talking to some cloaked man. He couldn't see who it was though…"

Ginny gasped. "Oh Hermione! I'm so sorry…now I see why you've been so out of it. All this time…you're trying to remember who it was?"

Hermione lifted her head and nodded. She then took a deep breath. "Ginny…I'm scared. I keep seeing the guy in my dreams. Every night, it's something different. One night he kidnaps me; the next he's hexing me; and the next he's," she swallowed hard and lowered her voice to a mere whisper, "having sex with me."

Ginny's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, Hermione!" she hugged her tightly, "I didn't know you were feeling this awful!"

Hermione hugged her back. "It's not your fault. Really. I'll be fine," she pulled away and smiled softly at the redheaded girl, "To tell the truth, you've helped me a lot just now. I think that was my problem…trying to cope with it by myself. At least now I have someone to go to about this."

Ginny smiled back. "I thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about it, but why not Ron? Or even Harry?"

Hermione sighed. "I truly don't think either of them would understand why I'm so upset. And if Ron ever actually figured out what could've happened, I think he'd become too jealous to listen."

Ginny nodded slowly. "I think you're probably right. Although, I think they'd be worried if you were worried."

"Maybe, but I'd prefer to just keep it between us for now. At least until I learn more, if I ever do that is."

"I hope you do," Ginny stood up, "Um Hermione? You do realize we leave tomorrow morning, right?"

Hermione sighed in defeat. "I know. I've tried packing, but my mind always wanders off and I end up thinking more about that man instead of packing."

Ginny giggled. "It's okay. I understand. I'll help you out after we eat."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Ginny. Now lets go eat. I'm starving!"

000

The next morning came quickly. After eating a light breakfast, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley's made their way to the Kings Cross Station. Once onto Platform 9 ¾, Hermione momentarily forgot her troubles from the summer. She was finally returning to her home away from home. As they carried their luggage onto the train, Hermione was stopped by one of the train attendants. She wore the typical navy blue jacket and skirt with a white button shirt underneath. Under her navy blue hat, golden curls framed her pale face. On her jacket, a name tag was pinned that read: "Miss Talon."

Miss Talon's voice was stern yet soft, "There you are, Miss Granger! This way, this way." Without giving Hermione a chance to respond, she grabbed Hermione's hand and began to lead her towards the back of the train.

When they stopped at a closed compartment, Hermione finally spoke up. "Miss? I'm sorry, but why am I back here?"

"You're Head Girl this year, are you not?" Miss Talon stated, sounding kind of annoyed.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She had forgotten all about her being chosen as Head Girl! She grinned at Miss Talon before entering the compartment. It was empty, which was okay for her. She decided to change into her robes, while she was still alone. As she finished dressing, the compartment door opened. Standing at the entrance was a tall young man, wearing a black suit, black robe, and a Slytherin's Head Boy badge. Once she saw the platinum blonde hair and grey eyes, Hermione recognized immediately who he was.

Draco scoffed. "Great. I have to spend my last year at this damn school with you, of all people! Filthy mudblood."

Hermione glared. "You're not much of a treat to be around either, Malfoy." As she sat down, Draco shut the compartment door and sat down opposite her.

"Lets just get this straight: you don't talk to me, I won't talk to you, and we'll just act like the other one doesn't exist. Alright?"

She stared at him for a second before nodding. "Fine." With that, Hermione curled up and stared out the window until she fell asleep, dreaming again about her cloaked mystery man.

000

"Granger! GRANGER! For Merlin's sake, Granger, WAKE UP!" she heard Draco yell at her.

Startled, Hermione jumped awake, screaming. As she looked around, she noticed an evil grin on Draco's face.

"Scared, Granger? You should be…." he said, darkly.

She growled. "Leave me alone, Malfoy!"

"Fine. Stay on the train! Not like I care if you're here or not…." his voice trailed off as he left the compartment.

Quickly, Hermione straightened her hair and clothes, gathered up her things and left the compartment. In the isle, Ginny was waiting for her.

"Hermione? What did Malfoy mean back there? About you being scared?" Ginny questioned as they walked off the train.

Hermione shrugged. "He was probably just teasing me. I had another nightmare during the trip and he must've heard me screaming or something."

Ginny frowned, but kept quiet when Ron and Harry walked up to them.

Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders as the walked towards the carriages. "So…Head Girl this year? You'll have to invite me over to see the private common room you get," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Hermione blushed, but was speechless during the carriage ride. Her mind was continuously focused on the man haunting her dreams and now on Draco's statement. Piecing the two together made Hermione shiver…what if? But no…why would she go off with him? Hell…why would he even talk to her, let alone bring her a drink or anything else? She shook the thought from her mind…it was impossible.


	3. Chapter 3: Equality

**A/N: Big thanks to my reviewers and subscribers! I never expected so many people to like the story so quickly. And I realize Dumbledore should be gone in their 7th**** year, but I just couldn't have a Hogwarts without Dumbledore. I even cried during the movie! :,[ Anyway, dorkyness aside, here we are: Chapter 3! Finally at Hogwarts! Kind of short ((sorry!)). Mostly a basic chapter with a little twist in the end. ;] Enjoy and review!**

As Hermione sat watching the first years be sorted, she noticed Professor Dumbledore's gaze kept moving back and forth between Draco and herself. When all first years were sorted, Dumbledore stood up, smiling.

"Congratulations and welcome to Hogwarts, first years. And to all previous students, welcome back! Firstly, I'd like to remind you all that students are forbidden to enter The Dark Forrest. Secondly, I'd like to introduce this year's Head Boy and Head Girl. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger: would you please stand?" As Draco and Hermione rose from their seats, he smiled gently at both of them. "Thank you. Now be aware that these two students may take house points from students and prefects. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger? Would you two kindly meet with me after tonight's feast?" Dumbledore smiled at them both before continuing with his speech.

Once Hermione had sat back down, Ron nudged her with his elbow. "Good luck dealing with Malfoy everyday," he said with chuckle.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Tell me about it. At least you can avoid him. I have to share a common room with him."

Ginny spoke up behind Hermione, "That's not so horrible. At least you can always stay in your room to avoid him."

Hermione giggled. "Good point. I think I might die if we had to share a bedroom."

Ron glanced over his shoulder at Draco, then back towards Hermione and Ginny. "No. He'd be the one dying if you two had to share a bedroom. I'd kill him myself."

Now Harry turned around. "I seriously doubt that. Hermione would beat you to it."

Hermione smirked. "You're probably right."

At that moment, the four long house tables became full of delicious food. The feast had begun and Ron was one of the first to start piling food onto his plate. Once everyone's plates were full, Ron was moving on for seconds.

Hermione laughed. "Ronald Weasley! I swear sometimes you eat as much as a troll." She laughed again when Ron smiled smugly at her.

000

After the feast, Hermione and Draco made their way up to Dumbledore's chair at the High Table.

Dumbledore smiled as he stood up to greet them. "Ah…good evening, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. As you may already know, you two are expected to share a common room. The password is Equality. The painting should be easy to find. I realize it's getting late and I'm sure you're both anxious to see your new rooms, but I must advise you both to organize a patrol strategy. You will be working together so I think it best if you decide who will patrol certain parts of the castle and at what times."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Okay. Is there anything else we should know, Professor?"

"No. I believe that's it. Goodnight Miss Granger. And goodnight to you too, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore smiled softly at Draco.

Draco nodded. "Goodnight." He then turned around and retreated to the Head common room.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she watched Draco leave, but quickly returned Dumbledore's smile. "Goodnight, Professor," she said before turning to leave the Great Hall herself.

Just as Dumbledore had told them, the portrait that hid their common room entrance was easy to spot. It was a giant portrait of the four Hogwarts founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. To Hermione's surprise, the portrait displayed the four founders tightly together, looking quite peaceful. In unison, the four founders said, "Password?"

Hermione smiled. "Equality." At that moment, all four founders smiled back at her as the portrait slid away to reveal the entrance. As Hermione stepped inside, she could feel warmth coming from a fireplace. When she reached the common room, she saw that the walls were dark stone and the dark wood floors outlined a giant scarlet throw rug that was in the middle of the room. There were two mahogany leather chairs and a matching loveseat surrounding the fireplace. Tall bookshelves sat on either side of the entrance. Dark wood end tables sat at either end of the loveseat. Straight across from the entrance and on the left and right walls were doors, of which two had gold plates on them. The left door read "Head Boy" and the right door read "Head Girl." The third, Hermione assumed, was their bathroom.

Hermione had not noticed Draco come out of his own bedroom, sporting a long black bathrobe. She narrowed her eyes and sighed in disgust. "Could you, for once in your life, be somewhat considerate of other people's feelings? No one wants to see you walking around in a bathrobe!"

Draco smirked. "You're right, Granger." With that, he untied and dropped his robe on the ground, revealing his completely nude body.

Hermione screamed and covered her eyes with her hands. "Damn it, Malfoy! I have a boyfriend!" After a minute, she spread her fingers to see if he had covered himself up yet. Instead, he remained standing there uncovered and laughing wildly. This time however, she couldn't stop her self from staring. His legs and arms were perfectly toned, his fair skin was flawless, his stomach was just tight enough to see his abs, and he was certainly blessed when it came to his manhood. Quickly, Hermione shook her head and ran inside her room.

Once inside, she collapsed by her door. Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes. "I can't believe I just saw Malfoy naked! And worse, I…" she swallowed hard, "checked him out." Hermione shivered. "I can't let Ron find out about this. He'd be so upset." She then stood up and walked over to her bed. Without undressing, she laid down and hid her face under the pillow. Afraid and confused, she slowly let herself drift off to sleep, where she would continue to see Draco's body in her dreams as her cloaked mystery man.


	4. Chapter 4: Aimee, Evangeline, Hugo, Rose

**A/N: Thanks to my loyal readers and reviewers! Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been trying to start a new fanfic along with this one. Anyway, Chapter 4! I had trouble starting this one, but I think it came out just fine. And even though I absolutely hate jumping between POVs, I felt it was necessary to get inside Draco's mind for a minute. :] Enjoy and review!**

A week had passed since the incident with Draco, and still Hermione could not erase the image of his naked body from her mind. They did happen to come up with a patrol strategy that ensured they would not patrol anywhere near each other. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were always running into each other. As if gravity was pulling them together. And every time she saw him, she couldn't help staring. Today in their Advanced Potions class was no different. As Professor Slughorn stood at the front instructing them how to make their latest potion, Hermione sat looking over her shoulder at Draco, whom was making crude comments with his friends, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Ron nudged her with his elbow. "Hermione? What are you staring at?"

Hermione turned back around to look at him. "What? Oh…it's nothing. Just something caught my eye."

He glanced over at her, eyebrow raised. "What could possibly catch your eye in Potions?"

She sighed. "Never mind that. You should be paying attention."

He rolled his eyes at her before slumping over in his chair. "So should you, Miss Know-it-all."

She quickly glared back at him and then returned to her notebook. It was full of little notes she had neatly written down from her classes. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed some of them had scribbled writing in the margins. Some of the scribbles were excerpts from her favourite books and poems, some were lists of topics she had meant to research in her free time, and a couple of the scribbles were names: _Aimee, Evangeline, Hugo, Rose._ She then remembered she had written the names down as a reference for her future children. She had always dreamt of becoming a mother; it was one of her many lifelong aspirations. The four names had been her favourite since she was young. She had asked for Ron's opinion about her four favourite names once before, but she was disappointed with his reaction. Instead of actually giving an opinion, he just nodded, said "Sounds great," and kept talking with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Come on, Hermione. Lets go get something to eat." Ron was standing beside her desk, nudging her with his forearm.

She sighed and shut her notebook. "I'll pass. I'm going to my room." She then stood up and left the classroom, alone. As she walked through the corridors, she flipped back to the four names in her notebook. She smiled down at them for a moment before flipping to the next page. It was mostly blank, except for a small paragraph she had written at the top. It appeared to be a type of journal entry. As she read, her heart sank. It was her record of her and Ron's worst fight: it had ended with her in tears and in pain. She lifted her robes and rubbed the spot on her arm where the bruises had been. She then felt herself fall backwards to the ground.

"Watch yourself, Granger!" It was Draco who had knocked her over. As she looked up to see his face, she saw his typical sneer soften into a look of concern. Before he had a chance to say another word, she stood up and ran to their common room. As Draco watched her leave, he noticed something on the ground: her notebook. He picked it up and followed her.

Once he reached the portrait of the four Founders, he noticed the worried expression on their faces. He raised an eyebrow as if to question them.

Rowena frowned at him. "The poor dear…I do hope she's okay."

Draco folded his arms across his chest. "What do you mean?"

Godric spoke this time, "When she came through earlier, tears were running down her face like rivers. It pains me to see one of my lionesses cry like that." With that, he turned away and left the portrait.

Draco frowned down at the notebook in his hand. "I bet I know why…." He figured she would hate him for it, but he couldn't resist looking through the notebook to see what she had been reading. He then looked up at the portrait and said, "Equality."

Salazar looked at him with surprise evident on his face. "Are you sure, young Malfoy?" When Draco glared back at him, he sighed. "Very well."

Once the portrait slid away, Draco stepped inside. It was dark and cold in the common room. Draco could hear a crying female; obviously Hermione. As he entered the common room, he saw her curled up on the loveseat with her long brown hair hiding her face. Oddly, after what he had read, Draco somewhat felt bad for her. He walked over and sat down beside her.

"Um…Granger?"

Hermione looked back at him, her face streaked with tears. "What are you doing in here?"

He held up her notebook. "You dropped this in the corridor."

Her eyes widened as she snatched it out of his hands. "Well thank you, Malfoy. Now leave me alone." She turned back to lay her head on the arm of the loveseat.

He stared at her back for moment before sighing. "Look, Granger. I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not totally ignorant. I've seen the way Weasley has been treating you. If he's not ignoring you, he's barking orders and calling you names," he leaned back, folding his arms behind his head, "If you ask me, I'd say you two seemed happier as friends. Awkward, but happier."

Now Hermione turned around to face him, sniffling. "You've seen us?"

Draco nodded. "Yep. Most of the school has. Surprisingly, you're just too blind to notice it yourself."

"I am not! I know we shouldn't be like this, but it hasn't always been like this, you know?" she looked down at the floor, "We actually used to be happy. I used to dream of a future with him…."

He looked over at her. "And about Aimee, Evangeline, Hugo, and Rose?"

"Yeah…" then she realized what he had said, "Wait! How'd you know those names?" She was glaring at him.

He leaned forward again, rested his elbows on his knees, and looked over at her. "The same way I know why you were crying," he nodded toward the arm she had been rubbing earlier, "Listen, Granger. I may not like you, but even you deserve better than that."

She wanted to be mad at him for reading her notebook, but couldn't find it in her to be angry at the first person who had shown concern for her. Even if it was fake, it was more than anyone else had shown her. She sighed and smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Malfoy."

He flashed a half smile and scratched the back of his head. "It was nothing," he then stood up and turned around, "Granger?"

"Yes?"

Her voice made him shiver. It haunted him in his dreams and was worse when he heard it in person. It reminded him of their time together almost three weeks ago. Still scratching his head, he said, "Never mind. It's not important right now." And with that, he quickly left the common room to join his friends in the Great Hall.


	5. Chapter 5: Sweet Malfoy

**A/N: Great response to the last chapter! And a special thanks to iregretit for being loyal and leaving lovely comments for me to read. :] On to Chapter 5! I've been eager to start writing this part. I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than the others have been and again we sneak a peak into Draco's mind. ;] I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope everyone else enjoys reading it! This will probably be my last update for this story until after Christmas because I'm going to try an write the 2****nd**** chapter for my new story ((also before Christmas)). The new story is called "Ariella's Diary" and it's also a HP fanfic. Check it out and tell me what you think. :] Anyway! Enjoy and review! :]**

On that morning, Hermione woke up smiling. For the first time, she had slept without seeing her cloaked mystery man. She stood up, walked over toward the window, and breathed in deeply. Her smile quickly flipped upside-down as a wave of nausea hit her fast and hard. Hand over her mouth, she ran towards the bathroom.

However, Draco was already in there, just getting out of the shower. "Granger! What the hell do you think you're doing?" When she knelt down in front of the toilet and vomited, his face scrunched up. "Ew…I see someone's not feeling well," she heaved again, "Here. Your hair." He knelt down behind her and pulled her hair back.

Hermione grunted and moaned as she laid her forehead against the cold toilet seat. "Ugh…thanks, Malfoy."

He laughed when she heaved again. As she leaned back to sit on the floor, he stood up to get her a damp towel. "No problem. It's only polite." He knelt down in front of her and handed her the towel. "Here. Clean yourself up."

She took the towel from him and smiled. "Thanks."

He leaned back to sit across from her and finally noticed what she was wearing: a pink tank top and black lacy knickers. His heartbeat increased. Her body was just as he remembered: healthily thin, perfectly curved, with a few subtle imperfections. He shook his head and chuckled. "So…I can't walk around in a bathrobe, but you can walk around in practically nothing?"

She looked down at her body and blushed. She had forgotten that she had slept without her pajama bottoms last night. She looked back up at him before standing. "At least I'm not dropping my clothes and making you see me naked."

He stood up and laughed again. "Don't lie, Granger. You know you enjoyed the show."

She smirked, twisted up the towel, and snapped him with it. She couldn't help but laugh when he yelped.

He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. "For someone who's sick, you sure aren't acting like it." He guided her into the common room and had her lay down on the loveseat. "You should rest today. I'll take care of the patrol."

She sighed. "What's with you lately? You've been nicer to me now than you have been during the entire first six years we've known each other."

He scratched his head. "I don't know. You just seem like you need someone to be nice to you once in a while. And I figure if we're going to be living together, we might as well get along," he turned around and conjured a green fire in the fireplace, "Anyway, it's Saturday so just lay her and relax today. I think we both would appreciate you not vomiting anymore."

She nodded and curled up on the loveseat, resting her head on the plush armrest. When he walked into his room, she got up, walked into her own bedroom and grabbed the book she was reading. As she walked back out to return to the loveseat, Draco walked out of his room, fully dressed in his robes and carrying a green and silver blanket.

When he saw her, he shook his head and sighed. "Granger, please, just stay on the loveseat." As she laid back down, he draped the blanket over the back of the loveseat. "There. You can use this if you get cold."

She smiled up at him. "You'd best stop that, Malfoy. You're starting to act like a sweet and caring person."

He smirked back at her before leaving the common room.

When she knew he was gone, she sat up and walked into the bathroom. She did intend to relax, but not by laying on the loveseat all day. She went over to the bathtub, turned on the water until it was the perfect temperature, and stuck the plug into the drain. She then poured in a large amount of strawberry scented bubble bath and turned off the water once the tub was mostly full. She then walked over to the vanity, picked up her brush, and brushed her hair, pulling it up into a messy bun. As she undressed, she started humming to herself. For some reason, she felt happier than she'd ever felt before, despite the fact that she should be out patrolling with Draco. Nude, she stepped into the bath and sat down in the hot water.

Feeling the water rush over her body, loosening her stiff muscles, she sighed in relief, "Ahh…it's been years since I've sat and relaxed in a bubble bath like this." She smiled, shut her eyes, and leaned back, resting her head on the edge of the tub. Draco's face entered her mind, which made her smile wider. "I do wonder why he's being so nice lately. Either way, I'm not complaining. It's a whole lot better than how he was when we were younger," her smile faded when Ron entered her mind, "Maybe he's right…maybe Ron and I would be better off as friends again. I know we were really close before, but who knows if our friendship would last after a break up? Hmm…" finally, her cloaked mystery man made his appearance in her mind, "Oh how I wish you'd leave me alone. Unless you plan to tell me your name, I suggest you leave my head at once!" she had no idea why she was arguing with the man in her thoughts, but what happened next, surprised her. The man moved his head in a way that made a strand of blonde hair slip from his hood. Her eyes snapped open as she sat up immediately. "Whoa. Maybe I should argue with him more often," she heard their clock chime eleven times, "I should go back to the loveseat just incase Malfoy comes back before lunch."

She pulled the plug out of the drain, stood up and out of the tub onto the smooth, wooden floor. She then grabbed a maroon and gold towel and dried herself off. As she dressed, she looked outside the window down at the grounds. Harry and Ginny were sitting by the lake, with Harry's arms wrapped around Ginny's shoulders. Hermione smiled down at the couple; she hoped that one day she'd find a man to be happy with like Ginny was with Harry. She turned around and returned to the common room. The green flames were still raging in the fireplace; however, the room had gotten colder while she was bathing. She laid down on the loveseat, pulled Draco's blanket over her body, and shut her eyes. It didn't take long for the unconsciousness of sleep to take over.

000

Draco sighed as he walked back to the Head common room. It was lunchtime, so he was going to check on Hermione before heading to the Great Hall. Patrol had been extremely boring, as most of the students were outside of the castle. When he got to the portrait hiding their common room, Helga smiled at him.

"Good day, Mr. Malfoy. How is Miss Granger feeling today? She seemed pretty upset the other day."

Draco scratched his head for a moment. Why did this portrait insist on making conversation with him on a regular basis while all the others sat fairly quiet? "Well, she's emotionally stable, but she got sick this morning so I had her stay here and rest."

"Ah-ha! How sweet of you…."

"I am not sweet," he interrupted her, glaring, "Look, just let me in the common room. Equality."

Helga frowned slightly as the portrait slid away.

Draco stepped inside and entered the common room. His blanket had been removed from the back of the loveseat, so he assumed Hermione had taken it. He walked around to the front of the loveseat and found her wrapped up tightly in his blanket, asleep. He smirked down at her before shaking her shoulder. She moaned and hid her face with the blanket.

He chuckled slightly and shook her harder. "Come on, Granger. You need to get up. It's lunchtime."

Her eyes fluttered open. She yawned and smiled up at him. "Oh so I can leave the loveseat now?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, like you actually listened to me and stayed here all morning," when her cheeks turned a bright red, he couldn't help but laugh, "As I thought."

She stood up and stretched. "Either way, I did enjoy myself today. It felt good to just sit and not worry about anything."

"Well that's good to hear. Now go get dressed so we can get something to eat. I'm starving." He then sat down in one of the armchairs, intending to wait for her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Then go to the Great Hall. I can get there by myself. I'm sick, not helpless, Malfoy." Her last sentence came out slightly harsher than she meant for it to.

He glared at her. "Get dressed, Granger." She glared back at him, but walked into her own room to change. He had no idea why he was waiting for her. Normally he'd just leave without her and not think twice about it. Hell, he wouldn't have even come back up for her. However, now he felt almost obligated, if not 'forced', to take her down to lunch. He slouched further down into the chair and closed his eyes. He could still remember seeing her in The Leaky Cauldron. Her red halter dress stopped just above her knees. Her black heels made her legs look long and lean. Her brunette curls brushed ever so lightly across her soft, fair skin. Just as it had then, seeing her like that made his groin hard. It was the first time she actually looked sexy, to him anyway.

"Let's go, Malfoy." Hermione said with a harsh voice.

His eyes snapped wide open. She was dressed in her school robes with her hair pulled up into a tight bun. She looked average and plain compared to the image in his mind. He quickly stood up and followed her out into the corridor. If only he could see _his _Hermione in person one more time before they graduated. He knew that once they graduated, there would be no chance for that to ever happen.


	6. Chapter 6: Unforgivable

**A/N: I hope everyone had a great holiday! And I know I haven't updated as much as some people may like, but I'm trying. But school starts up again tomorrow so updating will get harder to do every week. But I promise to do my best! :] Anyway, on to Chapter 6! I had huge writer's block during this chapter…so annoying! But I finally got ideas and I like how it turned out. And I give up trying to keep with one POV. Draco's head is too much fun to be in. :P Enjoy and review!**

During the following week, Hermione had woken up nauseous three more times, but refused to miss classes or patrol because of it. Luckily, Malfoy hadn't caught her throwing up on those mornings so he assumed she was back to normal.

Now, it was lunchtime and Hermione was sitting with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Things were awkward with Ron, as Hermione was still thinking up a way to break things off with him. As she went to refill her plate, Ron gave her a strange look.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Is something wrong?"

Ron eyed her plate for a moment before looking up at her. "Hermione? You do realize this is the second plate you've had, right?"

Hermione nodded slowly, still confused. "And?"

"Well, your first was piled higher than mine and this one is just as full."

She finally looked down at her plate and noticed the large amount of food she had grabbed. She had every intention of eating all of it, but it embarrassed her. She then looked up at her friends with tears in her eyes.

Ron's eyes widened. "Look, Hermione, just forget what I said! I don't care what you eat. Obviously you're just more hungry than usual. It's okay!"

Ginny put her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Are you okay, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head, stood up and ran out of the Great Hall, tears running down her face. She ran out the large double doors to the grounds, over to a patch of trees by the lake, and sat down at the base of the largest tree. She had no idea what had gotten over her. She didn't feel angry or sad enough to cause tears. They just happened. She hugged her legs against her chest and rested her chin on her knees. It wasn't long before she heard quiet footsteps approaching her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ginny walking toward her.

Ginny stopped beside Hermione and sat down. "Hermione? What's wrong with you?"

Hermione looked over at the redhead. "I really don't know. I feel so strange lately. I mean, it started with me vomiting and I figure that's why I've been hungrier lately. But look," she put her legs down and pulled back her robes to reveal her uniform had become skin tight, "I've tried to not eat so much, but I always feel so hungry."

Ginny's eyes widened at the look of Hermione's clothes. She then gasped and looked up at her. "Hermione? Could you possibly be pregnant?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Ginny…I'm a virgin. How in the world could I be pregnant if I'm a virgin?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip. "What about the mystery guy from this summer?"

Hermione blinked and looked out at the lake. She didn't want to think about the possibility that her cloaked mystery man could've taken her innocence and then resulted in her being pregnant. It was then that she remembered what she had seen while she was bathing the day her vomiting started. She quickly looked back at Ginny. "Speaking of which, I forgot to tell you about something I saw the other day."

"Something about the man?" Ginny grinned when Hermione nodded, "Really? What is it?"

"Well, I was sitting there daydreaming and he popped into my head. I started arguing and told him to leave if he wasn't going to tell me his name," she then noticed the strange look Ginny was giving her, "I know, I know. I sound insane, but just listen. Anyway, just as I was about to push him out of my head, his head moved in just the right way and a blonde strand of hair fell out of his hood."

Ginny's eyes widened. "You mean…so the guy was a blonde?"

Hermione nodded. "And it must've been slightly long for it to fall out like that."

Ginny bit her bottom lip. "You don't think it could've been Malfoy, do you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really, Ginny…have you completely forgotten that I am the one thing in this world that Malfoy's hate most?"

Ginny's head tilted to side. "Yeah, but what about what he said on the train?"

Hermione shook her head, chuckling. "That's just Malfoy. Trust me," she then looked down at her watch and back at Ginny, "It's about time for your next class. You should get going."

Ginny nodded and smiled before getting up and running back to the castle.

Hermione turned back toward the lake and sighed. She laid her head back against the tree and smiled when she thought back to seeing Harry and Ginny sitting not too far from where she was now. She and Ron could never just "be together" for the sake of being together. They always had to be doing something or Ron would get bored and leave. It would be so easy to just go back to being friends, but the thought of being alone made it that much harder for her. She was convinced that the chemistry between them was gone, but didn't want to end the relationship unless she knew things would be okay.

"Granger?" Draco Malfoy was only a few feet away from her.

Hermione turned around to look at him. "Malfoy? What're you doing here?"

Draco sighed and walked over to sit beside her. "Making sure you're okay. What did Weasley say or do this time?"

She looked away and swallowed hard. "I-I don't know what you mean."

"I saw you. I know you were crying."

Hermione looked back at him. "It was my fault. I overreacted," she looked down at the ground, "I just got embarrassed."

Draco gave her a confused look. "Embarrassed? What could possibly embarrass the proud Hermione Granger?"

Hermione looked up at a smirking Draco and laughed. "I'm shocked. I didn't know you actually knew my first name."

He rolled his eyes. "You're avoiding the question."

"Well, it's not really important. I've just been eating slightly more than I usually do. But I mean, with all of the vomiting I've been doing, it's expected…."

"Vomiting? What do you mean? You've been vomiting more since the day I found you?" his eyes narrowed at her.

She bit her bottom lip. "Well…I mean, why does it matter?" she stood up quickly, "Why should you care? I don't need you taking care of me, Malfoy." With that she stomped off towards the castle.

Draco stood up and watched her leave, his heart sinking. He looked down at the ground and kicked the dirt around the tree's base. "Damn it. I knew this would happen," he looked up just as Hermione disappeared inside the castle, "How the hell am I going to tell her? She'd never believe me. And if she did, she'd hate me forever," he sighed and walked slowly up the hill toward the castle, "Granted, I sure she already hates me. But this could kill my efforts to make up for the past six years."

000

It was late in the evening as Hermione strolled around the corridors, finishing up her rounds before going back to the Head common room to sleep. She yawned as she turned the corner. At that moment, she stopped dead in her tracks. Right in front of her was the man of her dreams and nightmares: her cloaked mystery man, blonde hair and all. However, his back was facing her.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Hey!"

The man's head tilted forward making him look at the ground. He then brought his head back up, looked straight ahead, and took off running.

"H-hey!" Hermione began to sprint down the corridor, following the man's trail. He lead her through secret passageways, up and down flights of stairs, and finally stopped in an empty classroom. As she bent over, resting her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, the cloaked man looked around the room for an exit. He then pulled his hood up and turned around to face her.

As Hermione looked up at him, all she could see was his mouth and chin, as his hood was casting a dark shadow over most of his face. She straightened her posture and stepped forward a couple steps. Nervously, she bit her bottom lip. "Um…who are you?"

He shook his head. "The unforgivable father of a half-blood heir." His voice came out in a rough whisper.

She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What?"

He sighed. "Never mind. Go to bed, Hermione. I can't explain it yet."

She stepped forward and reached her hand out toward him. "Please. Tell me."

He turned away from her. "I can't. Not yet. Just go to bed."

Her hand dropped to her side as she frowned and turned away from him. Without saying a word, she left the classroom. Luckily, she wasn't far from the Head common room portrait. She walked over to the bottom of the stairs and looked back at the classroom door. She saw her mystery man leave quickly in the opposite direction. She sighed and ran up the flight of stairs. Once at the top, she walked around the corridors for a few minutes before reaching the portrait.

She whispered, "Equality," and stepped inside as the portrait slid away. Once inside, she noticed a sleeping Draco in an armchair by the fireplace. Smiling, she walked over to stand in front of him. It felt strange that she was slowly growing a kind of fondness for the boy who had given her so much trouble when they were younger. She reached down to shake him awake.

He jumped, startled, and looked up at her with wide eyes. When he saw it was her, he relaxed and slumped back into the chair. "So, how was patrol?"

She shrugged and sat down on the loveseat. "Rather boring actually."

Draco tugged at his collar, nervously. "Boring? Hmph," she was a poor liar, but he couldn't challenge her without giving up his identity, "A shame there were no troublemakers to catch."

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "Personally, I think it's a good thing. Less troublemakers means an easy job for me."

He shrugged. "Easy, but boring," he then stood up and stretched, "Well, I'm off to bed." He nodded a farewell to her before turning around and walking into his own bedroom. He then sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the black hooded cloak that was laying across the foot of the bed.

He shook his head and sighed. "Damn thing's caused more trouble than it has pleasure," he laid back, folding his arms under his head, "'The unforgivable father of a half-blood…' Only in the eyes of a Malfoy. Hopefully she's more forgiving."


	7. Chapter 7: Pregnancy Potion

**A/N: Hey everyone! Haha…great feedback. I truly feel bad about making you guys wait for updates. But college will do that to you, I guess. Anyway, Chapter 7! Probably my favourite chapter so far. :] I stayed up until 4 A.M. to finish it for you guys so I hope you like it. And from now on, I'll try my hardest to get a chapter every week(end). Enjoy and review! :]**

On this particular morning, Hermione had woken up earlier than usual. And thank Merlin she did, for when she woke up that morning, she found a few red splotches on her forehead and chin. Strangely, her face had begun to break out! She was now locked in her room, trying to conceal the splotches with foundation. As she was applying the foundation, she happened to glance down at the rest of her small make-up collection: an eye shadow palette of six shades of pink and purple, simple black mascara, pale rose lip gloss, and a still fairly unused black eyeliner pencil. She remembered buying the assortment for the Yule Ball almost three years ago. The only other times she used it was when she and Ron had gone out to dinner for their anniversary.

She paused and smiled down at her make-up. "While I'm at it, I think I might try on a full face of make-up." After laying down her foundation sponge, she picked up palette and began swiping and blending a combination of pink of purple on her lids, going from violet, to crocus, and ending with misty rose. She then applied light amounts of mascara and eyeliner, finishing the look with a quick sweep of her gloss across her lips. Hermione then looked up at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She was never the type to wear make-up on an everyday basis, but she had to admit that she didn't look half bad with it on. Satisfied with her appearance, Hermione put on her Gryffindor robe and walked out into the common room.

At that moment, Draco looked up from his seat on the loveseat. His eyes widened. Something about her was different. Obviously her clothes were the same. Her hair maybe? No…it was still the same old Granger look. It was then, as Hermione blinked, that he noticed the pink and purple mixture on her eyelids. She was wearing make-up! It was probably a first for her as he couldn't remember ever noticing her wear make-up before. He quickly recomposed himself before speaking. "What's the occasion, Granger?"

She cocked as eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes. "The make-up. Why, all of a sudden, are you wearing make-up to go to class?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "No real reason. I woke up early today and just decided to try on some make up," she fluttered her eyes at him, "Why? Do you like it?"

He was smiling like a lovesick puppy. "Yeah," then his brain registered what he was saying, "Er…wait," he shook his head violently, "I mean, it's okay for you, Granger."

She couldn't help but giggle, "Whatever you say, Malfoy," smiling to herself, she left the common room, "I can't believe I got Malfoy to admit he liked me with make-up on." She walked downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast, smiling uncontrollably the entire way. As she stepped through the tall double doors, the sound of hundreds of students talking, laughing, and complaining filled her ears.

Ron was in the middle of shoveling eggs and toast into his mouth, but paused when he saw Hermione walking toward them. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her redheaded boyfriend. She stopped beside them and pushed his jaw back up with her index finger before sitting down.

Ron looked her up and down and cleared his throat with a cough. "Wow, Hermione. You look…pretty. Like a real girl…."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Next time, don't try to compliment me, Ronald. You fail horribly at it." She then looked across at Harry who was tugging at his collar, awkwardly.

Harry coughed as well before speaking. "Er…well, anyway. You do look beautiful Hermione, but why the make-up? You're not really the kind of girl to get dolled up for no reason."

She shrugged. "I was just going to put on foundation, but I just decided to add everything else for fun."

Harry cocked an eyebrow up at her, but said nothing and returned to his breakfast plate.

Ginny smiled widely across the table to her. "I agree. You do look beautiful, Hermione. I think you should do your make-up more often. It really makes a difference."

"What's that supposed to mean? You make it sound as if I look wretched without it," she frowned.

Ginny shook her head and held up her hands in defense. "No no no no no! All I meant was that you look really pretty with make-up on. Hermione, you're pretty either way, but the make-up makes it better. That's all I'm trying to say."

Hermione smiled, struggling to hold back tears. "You really mean that, Ginny? That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me before."

Ginny smiled awkwardly at her. "Um…Hermione? May I have a word with you in private?" she stood up and walked out into the Entrance Hall, with Hermione following close behind her. She stopped beside the large entrance doors and turned around to face Hermione. "Okay, what is wrong with you? The Hermione I know is never this emotional."

Hermione sighed. "I don't know why I'm being so emotional and to tell the truth, it's rather annoying for me to start crying or become angry randomly."

Ginny folded her arms across her chest. "Hermione, are you absolutely sure you aren't pregnant? I mean, when was your last period?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip, thinking back. It had been quite some time since her last period. She mentally started counting back, week after week, until she had seven weeks tallied up. Hermione swallowed hard. "This summer…."

Ginny's eyes doubled in size. "This summer?" she looked around quickly and lowered her voice, "Hermione, it's the middle of October! Don't you find it a bit odd for you to have gone this long without a period?"

Now Hermione's eyes grew. She had to admit that it was rather odd. She looked down at her stomach and placed her hands on it. She suddenly felt as if she had a large rock in the back of her throat. She swallowed hard to force the 'rock' down. She then looked back up her young friend, who had a worried look on her face.

Ginny took both of Hermione's hands in her own. "I think you should go see Madam Pomfrey."

"Will you come with me, Ginny? I don't think I can do this by myself."

Ginny frowned. "I wish I could, Hermione, but we have an exam in Divination today and I can't miss it. And you need to go see her immediately."

Hermione bit her lip and pulled Ginny into a tight hug. "I'm scared, Ginny. What if I really am pregnant?"

"Then you have plenty of friends and family that will be here for you," she pulled away to look at Hermione's tear streaked face, "But until we know for sure, just try to keep positive."

Hermione nodded. "I'll try my best. Now you go back into the Great Hall and finish breakfast. I'll go ahead and make my way up to the Hospital Wing."

Ginny flashed her a half-smile, trying to stay positive. She then walked away and back into the Great Hall.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She walked across the Entrance Hall and began to climb the marble staircase. As she did, she saw Draco standing on the landing at the top of the stairs. When she reached the top, she noticed he had a concerned look on his face.

"Granger? What's wrong? Classes don't start for another twenty minutes."

She sighed and looked up at him, still fighting back her tears. "I'm going to the Hospital Wing," she inhaled deeply, "Look, Malfoy, I can't believe I'm even asking you this, but could you possibly accompany me to the Hospital Wing? I'm so nervous and none of my friends can come with me. I just need someone there for support."

Draco eyed her stomach. _"Damn it! It's happening already. Now she'll go in there, find out she's pregnant and then get upset because she doesn't know the truth," _he thought. He looked up into her eyes. They looked glossy and slightly pink. He had probably been crying earlier. He then noticed that she black marks on her cheeks where the mascara had run down. He reached inside his robe and pulled out an emerald green silk handkerchief. He then unfolded it and handed it to her, "Here. You have mascara all over your cheeks."

She blushed, took the handkerchief, and started wiping her face with it. After she was done, she handed it back to him.

He shook his head, chuckling. "Here. You missed a couple spots," he stepped forward and wiped along her jawbone with the handkerchief. Once her face looked clean, he placed the handkerchief into back into his robe pocket. Her skin looked so soft and creamy. He reached up and cupped her face in his hand. Her skin was more than just 'soft.' It was the softest, smoothest, and most flawless skin he had ever touched, just as he remembered it. He would admit to himself that he was definitely developing feelings for the young woman he had tortured for the past six years, but not to anyone else. A Malfoy and a mudblood?: absurd!

Hermione cleared her throat and took hold of his wrist. "Malfoy? Could you just answer my question? I really need to get going."

Draco shook his head, violently. "What? Oh. Um," he dropped his hand from her face and stepped back from her, "Okay. Sure. I'll go with you."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you." With that, she turned and carried on toward the Hospital Wing.

Draco followed close behind her. _"I have to tell her sooner or later. Maybe if we were in love, then her reaction may not be as harsh and I could still have a chance to make up to her," _he shook his head, _"As if she could ever fall in love with a person like me. With the way I've treated her, I'll be lucky if we ever even become friends, let alone lovers." _They had finally reached the Hospital Wing entrance. Hermione pushed open one of the large entrance doors and they both stepped inside.

Madam Pomfrey rushed over to them immediately. "Miss Granger? Mr. Malfoy? What brings you two here this morning?"

Hermione blushed. "Um, well actually it's just me. I mean, we're both here, of course, but I'm the one that needed to speak with you."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Yes, well what is it, dear?"

Hermione stood there, twiddling her fingers, looking nervous. "Well, I was actually wondering if…well would you happen to have…um, maybe a certain spell or potion of some sort that could…um…."

Madam Pomfrey scoffed. "On with it, Miss Granger! I haven't got all day."

Hermione looked back at Draco, who didn't seem to be paying attention at all, and then back to Madam Pomfrey. "Well, you see, the reason I came here is because," she lowered her voice to almost a whisper, "I think I might very well be…pregnant," she almost choked on the last word.

Madam Pomfrey's eyes nearly tripled in size. "Miss Granger! Are you certain?" she sighed when Hermione nodded, "Well, of all people, you were the last I expected to be giving a Pregnancy Potion to."

The words 'Pregnancy Potion' finally caught Draco's attention. "Wait…what?" he looked at Hermione and then back to Madam Pomfrey, "What's a Pregnancy Potion?"

Madam Pomfrey turned to return to her office, "A potion designed to perform almost the same way as a Muggle pregnancy test, Mr. Malfoy. You two wait here while I go grab the potion from my office."

As Madam Pomfrey hurried away from them, Hermione turned back to Draco, who looked a lot calmer than she expected. She looked down toward the ground. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this, Malfoy. I'd understand if you wanted to leave now."

Draco stared at her, taken aback. He wanted to tell her that she was mental if she thought he would want to leave at such a crucial moment in his, no…their lives. However, that would surely give away his identity, so he decided against it. He just shook his head. "It's fine. I know this must be stressful for you, so I figure I should stay here to support you, just as you asked me to."

She lifted her head and smiled up at him. She wasn't sure what had happened to the old Draco Malfoy, but she certainly like the new Draco Malfoy a lot better.

It was then that Madam Pomfrey returned carrying a small vial containing a clear liquid. "Here we are. One Pregnancy Potion," she grabbed the top of Hermione's arm, "Come along, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy, will you wait here for a moment?" With that, she nearly dragged Hermione over to one of the beds and pulled the curtain around them for privacy.

Hermione quickly sat down onto the empty bed. "Um, Madam Pomfrey? How exactly does this potion work?"

Madam Pomfrey pulled a tiny needle out of one of the pockets of her apron. "Unfortunately, my dear, this potion uses blood to test for pregnancy. However, only a drop or two will be needed. I will simply prick your finger, add a few drops into the vial, and the blood will be dissolved. If the potion remains clear, then the result is negative. If the potion turns blue; however, the result is positive and I'll be subscribing prenatal vitamins to you immediately."

Hermione swallowed hard. Madam Pomfrey's explanation only made her more nervous. As Madam Pomfrey picked up her hand and readied it for the needle, Hermione bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she felt a quick and almost painless stab to her finger tip. Her eyes still closed, Hermione could feel Madam Pomfrey squeezing her finger over the vial. There were three dripping sounds followed by Madam Pomfrey reciting a charm to heal the cut on her finger. Hermione finally opened her eyes and watched the potion. The blood was mixing and dissolving into the potion. At first, she thought she was okay, as the potion was still clear. However, seconds later, it changed into a bright sapphire blue. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the vial.

Madam Pomfrey looked over at the young brunette and frowned. She had been prepared to criticize her, but couldn't find it in her heart to upset her anymore than she already was. Instead, she stood up, pulled back the curtains and retreated to her office to find prenatal vitamins.

Seeing the curtain left open, Draco walked forward, peaking into where Hermione still sat. She had tears rolling down her face as she stared at the potion vial, which now contained a blue liquid. He stepped closer and knelt down in front of her. "Granger? What's wrong?" he took on of her hands in both of his, "Tell me. What happened?"

She looked down at the hand he was holding. Normally, she might've given him a confused look or even snatched her hand away. But right now, all she could do was stare. Her body was numb. She wasn't sure if she would be able to speak.

Draco stood to sit on the bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It felt good to hold her like this, but his true main goal was to comfort her, not to please his own wants and desires. With his other hand, he held her hand that was furthest away from him. He looked over at her with deep concern. "Grang-…er, Hermione? Please. What's wrong?"

She heard his pleas. She even heard him call her by her first name. Though as surprised as she was, she couldn't respond. She just simply looked up at him and shook her head as more tears continued to fall. She swallowed the 'rock' out of her throat and managed to find her voice again. "I'm pregnant," she said, leaning into his chest and sobbing loudly into it.

Draco's eyes widened and heart throbbed with pain. She was so upset now and it was all his fault. And nothing he did would ever make a difference. He pulled her closer to him, let go of her hand, and began patting her long bushy brown hair. He didn't know what he could say that might make her tears go away. So instead, he sat silently and let her cry into his chest. It was the least he could do for causing her so much pain and sadness.


	8. Chapter 8: Baby Malfoy

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so angry at myself for this taking so long to write. Even angrier considering it's such a short chapter! *sigh* I've had total writer's block lately. But, despite it's length ((or lack there of)), I'm pleasantly pleased with this chapter. We'll probably be spending a lot of time inside Draco's head for the next couple chapters ((which I'm sure you're okay with :P)). Anyway, enjoy and please review!**

"Come on, Hermione. You need to eat." Ron urged her.

Hermione sat there at the Gryffindor table, drawing imaginary circles on her empty plate with her finger. She had fallen into a deep sort of depression and she became nauseous just by thinking about food. However, she was managing to force down a piece of toast or fruit in the mornings, so she hadn't really completely stopped eating. She placed her unoccupied hand over her stomach as is rumbled from hunger.

Ron looked down at her stomach and frowned. "Please, Hermione, just eat something! You're obviously starving."

She sighed and put a spoonful of pasta on her plate. She picked up her fork, stabbed three of the noodles, and brought the fort up to her mouth. Instantly, the smell of the pasta made her stomach turn. She dropped the fork, ran out of the Great Hall, and went straight to the girls' bathroom.

Ginny had followed her the whole way and was now holding back Hermione's long brown hair. She rubbed circles on Hermione's back as she began dry heaving into the toilet. "There, there, Hermione. It's okay."

Hermione heaved once more before she leaned back against the wall of the bathroom stall. Her face was red and sweaty, and she had a massive headache now.

Ginny frowned at her. "Hermione, what's wrong with you?"

Hermione sighed and placed a hand over her stomach. "I went to see Madam Pomfrey the other day."

Ginny eyed her friend's stomach, worry evident in her expression. "What happened?" Though she was a afraid she already knew the answer to her own question.

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. "You were right. I'm…," she shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.

Ginny sat up on her knees, reached over, and hugged Hermione tightly. "I'm so sorry."

Hermione sobbed quietly into Ginny's shoulder. "Ginny, what am I going to do? I'm not ready to be a mother. Especially not by myself."

Ginny pushed Hermione back gently and look down at her. "What do you mean? You'll always have Ron to help you."

More tears fell from her eyes at the mention of Ron. "No I won't," she looked down at the floor and closed her eyes, "If he doesn't leave me because of this, I'll end it with him anyway."

Ginny placed a finger under Hermione's chin and made her gaze up at her. "Why do you say that?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't feel for him the way I should, Ginny. I just don't love him anymore."

Ginny frowned. "I understand," she glanced down at Hermione's stomach and then back up her, "No matter what, I'll be here for you. Harry too. And I'm sure Ron will be willing to help you out."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank you, Ginny. I really just hope everything works out for the better," she then looked down at her stomach and placed her hands on it, "Ginny, I think I'm going to go up to my room. I need to be alone."

Ginny nodded as Hermione stood to leave. "Just be careful, Hermione. You really need to start eating more. You and the baby need nutrition."

Unresponsive, Hermione walked out of the stall and out into the Great Hall. As she walked up the marble staircase, she felt a warm hand grip her forearm. She turned around to see her fellow Head student.

Draco frowned at her. "Granger. Come back inside. You need to eat."

She tugged her arm away from him. "I prefer not throwing up in the morning, so no." She walked further up the stairs.

However, Draco continued following her. "I'm sure there's something you could eat without feeling nauseous. There has to be. I mean, you two can't survive on vitamins alone," he ran ahead of her and continued walking backwards so he could see her face, "Speaking of which, have you been taking those vitamins Madam Pomfrey gave you?"

Hermione stopped and stomped her foot. "Would you just leave me alone already? This is none of your business so stop trying to help!" With that, she shoved him out of the way and ran the rest of the way back to her room.

Defeated, Draco sat down on the stair he had been standing on. He sighed. "I really wish this was none of my business…."

000

The day was dragging on very slowly and uneventful. As Draco sat in Potions, his eyes and mind kept focusing on Hermione. He thought it weird that she didn't have that " "pregnancy glow" he had heard about. Rather, she seemed to be more gloomy than usual. Of course, she must still be upset about her being pregnant by someone she didn't know. At least, she didn't know she knew him. He sighed and put his head down on his desk. _"What am I going to do? She has every right to know what happened. And, well, it is my child too. I deserve to meet, care for, and watch it grow up. But…how could I ever ask her to forgive me for all that I've done?" _he stared at her long brown curls and smiled, _"Who would've thought that that mess of hair could be so soft and…luscious? And the smell!" _he sniffed the air and could still smell her hair.

He smiled to himself. "Ah…strawberries."

"Excuse me?"

Draco's eyes widened and his smile faded as he jerked his head up to look at Professor Slughorn, who had disturbed look on his face.

"Mr. Malfoy? What was that you said?" Slughorn asked again.

Draco shook his head, feeling his cheeks become hot. "It was nothing important, Professor. Please, continue."

Slughorn raised an eyebrow at the young blonde, shrugged, and continued with his lecture.

As the Potions Master walked away from him, Draco rested his forehead in his palm. Out of the corners of his eyes, he could see Crabbe and Goyle giving strange looks. A few other students were snickering at him, while others would stare at him and whisper nonsense to their friends. He quickly glanced up at Hermione. She didn't appear to have moved.

After class, some of the students were standing around in the corridor outside of the classroom. When Draco walked out of the room, Seamus Finnigan, whom was standing amongst a group of five fellow Gryffindors, pointed over at him, laughing.

"Hey, look everybody! It's Malfoy!" he sniffed the air and let his mouth hang open as his eyes became droopy, "'Ah…strawberries,'" he mocked.

Draco glared at him as he and the other Gryffindors laughed wildly. Then, he saw Hermione, Harry, Ron standing over by the stairs, laughing. His glare softened into almost a frown. _"So she did hear me…."_ Just as the three of them began to climb the stairs up to the Great Hall, he called out to her.

"Granger!"

All three of them stopped and looked back at him, confused.

He scratched his head nervously and walked over to her. "Er…I need to talk to you," he looked up at Harry and Ron, and then back to her, "in private."

Hermione nodded. "Let's go to our common room. We can talk there," she looked up at Harry and Ron, "I'll see you two in a bit."

Harry and Ron just nodded as she and Draco started to climb up the stairs ahead of them.

Draco tugged at his collar nervously as they walked. _"I've got to tell her. For both of our sakes," _he glanced down at her stomach and smiled, _"And for you too, Baby Malfoy."_


	9. Chapter 9: Mine

**A/N: Hey everybody! Bleh…haven't been in a very good mood lately. Classes have me stressed out. But writing seems to help with that, so here you go: Chapter 9! And plus the fact that everyone has been dying for more from that cliffhanger I left you. :P You'll just have to read and see what happens. And by the way, I have a poll open on my profile about this new story idea that I'm thinking about turning into my summer project for this year. Go ahead, check it out, and vote. I don't want to start something that no one will participate in. Anyway, enough gabbing! Enjoy the chapter and remember to review! :]**

As the two Head students walked into their common room, Draco could feel his palms sweating. He was nervous as hell, but hoped she hadn't noticed. As she sat down on the loveseat, he conjured a green flame in the fireplace before sitting down beside her.

Hermione held her hands in her lap and looked over at him. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

He looked over at her, down to her stomach, and then back to her face. He didn't know if he'd be able to tell her or not, but he was going to try. He tugged at his collar before speaking. "Um, actually I wanted to talk about you."

Her eyes widened momentarily at his statement. "Oh. Well, um, okay then. What do you want to know?"

"Well," he eyed her stomach once again, "does anyone know about, you know. The baby?"

She inhaled deeply. "Just you and Ginny. Why?"

"Really? Well, what about Weasley? I mean," his next words about killed him to say, "shouldn't _the father _know?"

She looked over to the fireplace. "It's not Ron," her head dropped and her eyes closed, "If I knew who the father was, sure I'd tell him."

He was smiling on the inside, but frowning on the outside. "So, you have no idea who he is, then?"

She shook her head. "It happened this summer. All I remember is his blonde hair and the black cloak he was wearing. I never saw his face."

He cleared his throat quietly. "So, um, what would you do if you found out who he was?" He was anxious to hear her answer and was sure he had stopped breathing until she spoke.

She looked up at the fire and then over at him. "I think of a number of things. I mean, I'd like to know who exactly took advantage of me like that. And I'd like to know why he did it in the first place," she looked back at the fire, "Then, of course, I'd tell him about the baby. I'd probably hex his balls off, too, for revenge."

He grimaced. He had a feeling her answer would be something like that.

She then looked over at him. "Why are you asking all of this?"

"_Shite. I can't do this,"_ he leaned back, holding his palm over his forehead, _"Time for plan B."_ Leaning forward, he rested one of his hands on her knee. He inhaled deeply. "Hermione, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and, I mean, with everything that's happened," he took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he continued, "What I'm trying to say is that I guess I've sort of taken a liking for you and that, if you want, maybe we could start over? I mean, I'm not asking for much, I just want a chance to make up for the last six years," he took her hands in his, "I know I've been a complete arse to you and…I want another chance. Please, Hermione?"

Her eyes had grown to twice their normal size. She was staring down at their hands, trying to think of what to say. She then thought back to Ron. She knew things weren't going to work between them for much longer, but she was scared of being alone. Maybe this would be her way of avoiding loneliness. It was a long shot, but just maybe….

She looked up to his eyes. They appeared to be more silver than grey at that moment. She took a deep breath. "Draco…is friendliness all you're asking for, or is there more to it? If you really want a second chance, tell me the truth."

He looked down, biting his bottom lip. Of course he would like more, but friends was good enough at this point. He returned his gaze to hers. Looking into her deep chocolate brown eyes made his heart melt. "Well, I mean, friends is okay with me, but…." he inhaled. _"Hopefully she won't hex me." _Taking a chance, he leaned in close to her until their lips were touching. She stiffened at first, but quickly softened at kissed him back. Now he was smiling both internally and externally. Tasting her sweet lips again sent chills down his spine. He let go of her hands and his own up to hold her face. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He pulled back to look down at her. Surprisingly, she was smiling and had a bright red blush on her cheeks.

He pulled himself away and returned her smile and blush. He cleared his throat and began to speak again. "As I was saying, I'd be content with just friendship, but I would be even happier if we could go further than friends."

She touched her lips, which were still tingling from his kiss. _"Is this really happening? Draco Malfoy, the pureblood enthusiast, wants a chance with me?"_ Her smile widened. "We can try dating for a while, if you really want to. Although," her smile faded away, "I still need to figure out how to break up with Ron."

He nodded. "Why not tell him the truth?"

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Ron, of all people, is never going to believe that we're together."

He leaned back, resting his arms on the back of the loveseat. "You right, but that's not what I mean. Just tell him you're unhappy. If he's any kind of gentleman, that should be enough for him to back off."

She shrugged. "I'll try, but this is Ron we're talking about, so who knows what will happen," she stood up, turned around, and looked down at him, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving so I'm going to go down and try to eat something."

He got up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I'll go with you," he said, smiling.

She giggled. "As much as I may like you holding me, I am still Ron's girlfriend, so keep your hands to yourself."

He pouted, but put his arm down. As they walked out of their common room and out to the corridor, he took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. He smiled up her blushing face. "You may be his now, but you'll be mine soon enough."

Once they reached the Great Hall, they went to their separate table, but not before Draco gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Over at his own table, Draco sat down between Blaise and Goyle. Across from him were Crabbe and Pansy. All four of them were giving him the same look of confusion. Finally, getting annoyed, he sighed and looked around at them. "What? Is something wrong?"

Blaise leaned over and whispered, "Not that it's any of my business, but what's up with you? You've been spending a little too much time and attention to Granger lately."

Draco rolled his eyes. He had been expecting this reaction from his friends, just not so soon. "Well, I guess that happens when you live with a person and have to patrol with them," he ladled chicken soup into his bowl until it was full and started eating, "Seriously guys, get a hold of yourself. When you spend that much time with someone, you do tend to, I don't know, take the time and learn about them."

Pansy grimaced. "Why? She's a mudblood. What could you possibly want to know about her?"

He glared down at his soup. Despite how much he didn't like it, he expected that kind of attitude from his friends as well. He inhaled deeply, ate a spoonful of soup, and looked up at her once his glare was gone. "Nothing that concerns you, Pansy, so just shut up and eat your dinner. That goes for the rest of you, too." The rest of dinner was silent between them. Occasionally, Draco would look over at the Gryffindor table and see Hermione smiling over at him. He would return her smile when he saw that she was eating properly without getting sick.

000

That night, as Draco lay awake in bed, he heard footsteps out in the common room. _"She must be back from patrol." _He turned over to face the wall opposite from his door. Minutes later, he heard a knock at his door. He rolled back over and sat up. "Come in."

The door opened and Hermione walked inside, shutting the door behind her. She came over and sat on the edge of his bed. She was already dressed in a pair of pastel pink pajama pants and a pastel green tank top that was fitting her a little too tightly.

She looked up at his face, looking half upset and half excited. "Well, I talked to Ron after dinner today."

He reached for her bicep, pulling her into an embrace.

She hugged him back, sighing. "He didn't take the break up very well. At first, he thought I was lying, but," she sat up and looked into his eyes, "I did tell him that I was with you now. Of course, he thought that was a joke too, until he saw I wasn't laughing. Then he got angry," she hugged his waist again, "Please be careful, Draco. He sounded serious when he said he would find a way to get me back."

He rubbed his hand up and down her back, and kissed the top of her head. "Don't you worry. I'll be fine. Besides," he pulled her up to look at her face, "there's nothing that Weasel can do to take you away from me."

She smiled up at him and kissed him on the cheek. "You really are sweet, Draco."

He chuckled. "Considering you're new to this, I'll let it go. But for future reference, I am not sweet."

She rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. She sat up on her knees, straddling him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She jumped when she felt his tongue trying to push it's way into her mouth. Willingly, she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to dance around with her own. She curled her tongue around his once more before pulling back and smiling down at him.

Her smile turned into a smirk as she stared down at him. "I don't know, Draco. You taste pretty sweet to me."


	10. Chapter 10: Hogsmeade

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sooo sorry I've been neglecting to update. I've been feeling kinda off lately and uninspired to write. :[ I should have more freetime soon so I should be able to write more often. :] Anyway, on to Chapter 10! We're building up to the Christmas holidays. Yay! And I made the chapter extra long as an apology. Double yay! Oh and I FINALLY made a banner for this story. The link is on my profile. :] Enjoy and review!**

As the weeks went by, Hermione found herself in a better mood than she had been. Even her depression about her unfortunate pregnancy was lifting from her. She had begun eating normally, once she figured out what she could eat with out triggering the sickness. Her friendship with Harry and Ron had suffered though. Harry was still speaking to her, but the feeling between them had become awkward. Ron had complete turned away from her. Her lost friendships did upset her quite a bit, but Draco had a way of cheering her up when she was sad.

Today was a Hogsmeade visit and Hermione was in her room trying to force her largest sweater to fit her growing stomach. Sighing in frustration, she stared at her stomach in the mirror, wondering whether the weight was from the baby or the extra desserts she had been eating in the past month.

Draco chuckled from the doorway. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her baby bump.

She smiled and nuzzled against his cheek before returning to her reflection. "I think today I'm going to go get myself some maternity clothes. This is getting ridiculous," she said, tugging at her tight sweater again.

He smiled, leaving a trail of kisses on her neck. "That's reasonable enough. But nothing too conservative."

She turned around in his arms, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, most of the maternity stuff I've ever seen is never very flattering on the woman. It's always oversized sweaters or long dresses with some outrageous floral pattern," he kissed her forehead and smiled down at her before continuing, "I just want you to keep looking like Hermione. And besides, I think you're beautiful."

Hermione blushed slightly, giggling. "Well they do make more fashionable maternity wear, Draco. But do you want to go with me to make sure I stay away from the conservative stuff?"

He smirked. "I would, but I have my own shopping to do today. But how about we meet up later?"

She nodded. "Okay. Then how about we meet at Madam Puddifoot's at around twelve-thirty?"

Draco couldn't help but groan at the thought of going to that tacky little tea shop, even if he would be with Hermione. "Why there? Can't we go to The Three Broomsticks like normal people?"

She rolled her eyes. "Normally, I would prefer to go there. But Harry and Ron are likely to be there. Things are awkward enough between us. If they saw us there together it would only make things worse."

He sighed. "Fine. Madam Puddifoot's at twelve-thirty it is."

She smiled up at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips before turning and grabbing her coat, which was laying across the foot of her bed. After slipping it on and clasping the top two buttons, she stepped out into the common room, where Draco was putting on his own coat.

Draco smiled over at her as he began buttoning his coat. "Hey, I just had a thought. Maybe you could get Ginny to go shopping with you? I mean, it's been a while since you two have hung out and she can help you pick out some good clothes."

"Hmm. You're right. I think I'll go ask her now," she said, walking over and wrapping her arms around his neck before pulling him into a passionate kiss. Smiling, she pulled away and walked out through the portrait and out to the corridor.

Back in the common room, Draco walked back into his room, over to his desk, and pulled out a small piece of parchment from one of the drawers. It was an advertisement that he had taken out of The Daily Prophet last week. It was for a new local shop that had opened only a few months ago. That shop was going to be his first of the few stops he had to make today, as he wanted to check out their inventory and he found something he liked, he planned to ask them to hold it for him until Christmas. He then stuffed the advertisement into a pocket inside his coat and left his room, thinking to himself, _"I hope they have something there that she'll like. Hopefully it'll cheer her up."_

000

"Hermione! Look at this! You absolutely must try this on. It's so cute!" Ginny cried as she ran over to Hermione, whom was currently looking at a new black double button jacket.

After hanging up the jacket, she turned around to see Ginny carrying a dark green velvet dress. When Ginny held it up in front of her, Hermione could see that the dress was knee length and had one shoulder strap. Hermione felt her cheeks become hot. "Oh no, Ginny. I couldn't. It's much too nice for me to wear on a regular basis."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean for you to wear it on a regular basis."

"Ginny…I highly doubt I'm going to have much use for it anytime soon. I mean, why would I get something that I _might _wear once in the next six months?"

"But what if you don't get it and some special occasion comes up where this dress would be perfect. Then you won't have it and I'd have the pleasure of saying 'I told you so'," Ginny said with a laugh.

Hermione giggled and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go try it on, but I'm not promising that I'll buy it." With that, she took the dress from the redhead's hands and walked into one of the dressing rooms. After shutting the door, she proceeded to get undressed and put on the dress. One thing for certain was that the dress was a lot more comfortable than her tight jeans and sweater. She smoothed the dress out and walked over in front of the mirror to see how she looked. Admittedly, the dress did look flawless on her. However, she didn't like the idea of buying such a nice dress with no where to go in it. Draco then entered her mind and she smiled. _"I'd like to see him call this conservative."_

"Well? How's it look, Hermione?" Ginny called from the other side of the door.

Hermione giggled. "Perfect. I'll take it." When she heard Ginny cheering loudly, she couldn't help but laugh.

000

Draco was smiling as he left the new store from his advertisement. _"It's a good thing I found that advertisement or I'd've never found this place." _As he pushed past large groups of people, he stuffed the advertisement and his receipt into his coat pocket. _"Alright. Now onto the jewelry store before I head over to Madam Puddifoot's to meet Hermione."_

As he walked inside the small shop, his ears were bombarded with the sound of dozens of girls cooing at every piece of jewelry they saw. Rolling his eyes, Draco stepped over toward the glass counter housing a number of different types of bracelets.

Soon, one of the saleswomen greet him from behind the counter. "Good day, sir. Is there anything I can help you find?"

He looked up at the tall, thin woman. She had dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and appeared to be in her mid-thirties. He nodded. "Yes, well, I'm looking for a bracelet for my girlfriend. But not just any bracelet. I want it to be special, but something she could wear everyday if she so pleased."

The saleswoman nodded, smiling. "I see. What you need, my dear, is a charm bracelet. Let's see…," she began looking down at the small cluster of charm bracelets inside the counter, "Here we go." She reached under the glass from behind the counter and pulled out a sterling silver chain that had a single silver heart charm hanging from it. She then handed it over to Draco when he reached for it.

Draco held the bracelet, studying it. After seeing the charm, he looked up at the saleswoman. "This charm, would it be possible to have it engraved?"

She nodded. "Of course. Engraved, bewitched, anything you like."

"I see," he studied the bracelet once more before setting it down on the counter, "I'll take it."

"Excellent," the saleswoman brought over a clipboard that had order forms on it and began filling it out, "Now, were you still wanting to get the charm engraved?"

He nodded. "Yes, although I'm not sure what I want it to say right now. You see, she's pregnant and my plan is to have the baby's name engraved on it, but we don't have a name yet."

The saleswoman smiled up at him. "Congratulations! Well, if you want I could have it bewitched to engrave itself whenever you figure out a name."

"That'd be great. Thanks."

"My pleasure. Now for the bracelet plus the engraving, it'll be eleven galleons, please." After Draco paid her, the saleswoman smiled and walked to the back of the store. Ten minutes later, she returned with a long, skinny, dark blue box with a white and silver ribbon wrapped around it. "Here you are," she handed him the box, "And don't worry if you happen to change your mind about a name after you engrave it. It can always re-engrave itself."

He smiled and slipped the box into one of the pockets on the inside of his coat. "Thank you."

As he left, he looked up and down the street for any sign of Hermione. Nothing. He then looked up at one of the sidewalk clocks. Twelve o'clock exactly. Madam Puddifoot's was only a few minutes away from where he was at, so he decided to try and find the shop Hermione was shopping at. As he walked, he looked back and forth, trying to see inside all of the shop windows for that familiar mane of brown hair. Instead, he came across the two boys Hermione had been trying to avoid. Harry with Ginny on his arm and Ron with a bushy haired blonde holding his hand.

"Eh?" he jogged forward to stand in front of the four Gryffindors. It was then he noticed Ron was with his ex-girlfriend_. "Oh…what was her name? Violet Braun? Lilac Bode? Something like that…," _he thought. "Ginny? I thought you were with Hermione?"

Ginny smiled over at him. "I was, but she said she wasn't feeling so well. I told her to go back to the castle to lie down, but she said she had to meet you. Why? Is something wrong?"

Draco let out a sigh of relief. "No, nothing wrong. I just expected her to be with you," he then looked over to Ron and the blonde, "I see you've found yourself a replacement."

Ron glared at him. "Shove off, Malfoy. No one asked for your opinion."

"Ah," Draco nodded, "You're right. Besides, I guess you really can't replace Hermione with someone you already had before she left. But, if you are, I guess you'll have to go find someone to replace her, now won't you?"

As Ron raised his free hand into a fist, Ginny stepped between them. "Stop it! Both of you just stop!" she then looked over to Draco, "Get out of here, Draco. Hermione's probably waiting on you."

Draco looked at one of the nearby sidewalk clocks. Twelve-nineteen. He returned his gaze back to Ginny and nodded her farewell. He then walked past the group and on down the street to the tacky little tea shop.

Once inside, his nose filled with the smell of flowery perfumes. The abundance of perfume in the air made him cough and he could taste it in his mouth. _"Ugh…never again am I coming to this place." _He quickly glanced throughout the shop, looking for Hermione. She wasn't there. He sighed and decided it was best if he wait outside instead of making his lungs suffer any longer than what was required. As he turned to walk back outside, he was stopped by the hostess.

"Ay. Leavin' so soon?" she said in a flirtatious sounding voice. She was standing behind a tall pink podium, resting one elbow on the podium and holding her head up with that hand while the other twirled a strand of her red hair.

Draco turned to look at her. She had a nametag on her shirt that read: 'Annabelle.' "Yes, I'm waiting for my _girlfriend_." He felt it necessary to stress the word 'girlfriend' as a way of telling the young hostess to back off.

Annabelle brought her other arm to the podium and rested her chin in both of her hands, still smiling shyly. "Girlfriend? What a shame. I was thinkin' we could share a pot o' hot cocoa."

"Yeah, yeah. That's all fine and lovely. Can I go?" Not waiting for an answer, Draco turned back to the door and left. Outside, the cold atmosphere helped calm him down. He looked around for Hermione. Nothing. Then to the sidewalk clock. Twelve-forty five. _"Where is she? It isn't like her to be late." _He then remembered what Ginny had said about her not feeling so good. _"She might've gotten sidetracked. I'll wait another fifteen minutes just in case."_ With that, he walked over to one of the small metal benches and sat down, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Hermione. Every so often, he would glance up at the clock. Twelve-forty seven. Twelve-fifty. Twelve-fifty two. Twelve-fifty six. Eventually, the clock struck one and Draco had still seen no sign of Hermione.

"What 'appened to that girlfriend o' yours?"

He sighed and looked beside him. The hostess, Annabelle, had sat down beside him at some point. _"Why won't she just give up?"_ "She's late, alright? Apparently she wasn't feeling too well earlier, so she's probably up at the castle waiting on me." He then stood up and started to walk off.

Annabelle grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Wait," she stood up and turned him around to look at her, "Look, I get it. You're taken an' not the kind o' bloke that cheats. I'll admit, I'm disappointed. But she's a lucky girl to 'ave you. I apologize, okay?"

Draco looked at the woman and nodded. She smiled before letting go of his wrist. Free, he took off running back towards the castle. The streets were fairly empty as many people were inside finishing up their lunches; however, he still got many strange looks by the few people that were walking about.

000

Hermione was in the bathroom, tucking back a few lose strands of hair that refused to stay in her bun. After shopping with Ginny, she had felt a little nauseous and decided to go back to her room to lay down until twelve-thirty. However, twelve-thirty had come and went while she was napping. She had hoped Draco would come home after her not showing up at Madam Puddifoot's, but was beginning to worry as the clock struck one-fifteen. She smoothed out her new green dress and left the bathroom.

In the common room, Hermione had conjured up a fire in the fireplace, which made the room feel warm and comfortable. She hummed and rubbed her baby bump as she walked around the room. "What should we name you, little one? Let's see…Rose Granger? Nah. Aimee Granger? Yeah, that might work. Evangeline Granger? Hmm…not my favourite."

Draco chuckled from the doorway. "So I just almost got hit by Weasley, suffered from lack of oxygen, got hit on by the hostess, and damn near had a panic attack all because you were up here talking to yourself in a very sexy dress?"

Hermione laughed as a bright red blush appeared on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Draco. I actually came up here to lay down until twelve-thirty, but I accidentally fell asleep."

He smirked and walked over to wrap his arms around her waist. "It's okay. I understand. Don't feel bad for taking time for yourself once in a while. Especially while you're carrying our little one," he bent down and kissed her stomach after speaking.

She smiled down at him, until she realized his use of the word 'our.' "Er…Draco? Did you just say '_our_ little one'?"

He froze in the middle of one of his kisses. _"Fuck. Damn it, Malfoy! Okay…think of something fast." _He stood up slowly, tugging at his coat collar nervously. "Er…well, I mean, I did. I mean, I had every intention of treating the baby as my own once it's born. A child should have both a mother and a father, so since we are together, I'd be honoured if you would let me be a sort of father figure to him or her."

Hermione's smiled stretched from ear to ear as her eyes became wet with tears. "You really mean that, Draco? I mean, even though the baby isn't pureblood, you'd still be a father to it?"

He had to use everything in him to hold his own tears back. He so deeply wanted to tell her that he was the true father of their baby, but knew she wasn't ready to hear it yet. After taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Yes, Hermione. I want to be the baby's father despite the fact that it won't be pureblood. Blood purity is in my past. Now I just want to be happy, and you, Hermione Granger, make me happy."

"Oh, Draco…now you've done it." With that, tears began falling uncontrollably from her eyes. In between sobs, she managed to find her voice, "Believe it or not, you make me happy too, Draco. I just wish I could stop being so emotional."

He chuckled and pulled her into an embrace, resting his chin on top of her head. "I think you can be cute when you're emotional. Besides, in the end, all of the emotions, nausea, pain, and weight gain will be worth it," he pulled back to look at her tear streaked face, "You're going to be a wonderful mother, Hermione. I know it." He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, tasting the saltiness from her tears. He felt her breathing go back to normal and she was no longer crying. Smiling, he pulled back to look down at her face, which was now tinged with pink. Now he looked down at the soft velvet dress she was wearing. It was a little too big, as it was meant to accommodate a larger stomach, but still looked stunning on her. Instantly, he felt his groin start to harden. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help getting turned on by her.

He moaned, dropped his mouth down to her neck, and began to nibble from her earlobe down to her shoulder blade. "I realize we just had a romantic moment going on, but I can't help myself. You just look so…." he grunted into the crook of her neck as he felt his manhood become tight in his pants.

Hermione moaned softly at the nibbling. "Oh, Draco. I…I…oh no." Quickly, she pushed him away and ran straight for the bathroom.

Draco groaned in disappointment. "Well that's not the reaction I had hoped for," he stepped over to the bathroom door, which was now closed and locked, "We should probably head down to the Great Hall for a late lunch. Little Aimee might be hungry."

Seconds later, the bathroom door unlocked and opened. Hermione was still sitting on the floor with a damp towel in her left hand. "So you like the name Aimee?"

He walked over to their tub and sat on the edge of it. He nodded, "Yeah. I mean, it sounds really pretty for a girl. Actually, I was thinking maybe you could name her Aimee Evangeline Granger?"

She smiled up at him. "That's a beautiful name, Draco. Thank you."

He returned her smile. "So what about a boy? I mean, no offense, but Hugo Granger sounds kind of off."

She giggled. "Yeah…that was meant more for a last name other than mine. Hmm…well, what about you? Do you have any ideas?"

"Me?" He was a little shocked that she was asking him to name their son considering he wasn't the real father, as far as she knew. However, the chance to name his son made him feel proud…he felt like a real father. "Well, personally, I've always wanted my son to have Draco as his middle name. A first name is hard to come up with, though."

"Hmm…Draco as a middle name? I like it actually. I'll keep looking for names to go with it," she said with a smile.

He smiled back at her. He had always wanted a son first, but really hoped Hermione was having a girl. A Malfoy girl hadn't been born in over a century and he had always hoped to break that cycle. Additionally, if Hermione didn't forgive him once she found out he was the father, he would still have the name he wanted for his son.


	11. Chapter 11: Truth and Love

**A/N: Finally the chapter everyone has been waiting for! Sorry it took so long to update though. I've been tossing around ideas for this chapter forever. Every time one sounded good, I'd find a flaw in it and have to start over. Very frustrating…. And then I sorta fell out of writing fan fiction to concentrate on my professional writing, but I feel guilty for not finishing it. So, I'm going to try and stick to it to see this thing through to the end for you guys. Again, I apologize for disappearing. :[**

Today had been the first day of December, and snow was already falling on the grounds. As Hermione walked outside with Ginny, the tiny, cold snowflakes that rested on her nose made her smile. She inhaled deeply, taking in the cool scent of winter.

Ginny giggled at the brunette. "You're in a good mood today."

Hermione smiled back. "I love it when it snows," she turned back to the snow, "Everything sparkles in the light like it all becomes crystal."

"Well at least you're happy."

Hermione stopped and turned to her friend. "Oh, Ginny. You've no idea how happy I am. I mean, believe it or not, Draco has made me so happy. Despite everything that's happened, he's been there for me even more than I ever imagined." Hermione had a huge grin on her face now.

Ginny gave her a half smile. "While I'm glad you're happy, Hermione, I think you should still be careful. It isn't like Draco to be kind to you…."

"Don't be silly. Draco's changed…I know it. He's constantly fussing over me and talking about the baby. It's like…it's like he wants us to be a family."

Ginny shrugged. "I hear what you're saying, but I just can't believe Draco would simply change after six years of tormenting you."

Hermione shook her head. "I didn't believe it at first either, but I'm telling you, he's changed."

000

As Draco made his rounds on the second floor, his mind wandered to the brunette he knew was waiting for him. He found it difficult to not think about Hermione or the tiny life she was carrying. He loved them both in a way he'd never experienced before.

Just when Draco turned into the last corridor of his route, he heard footsteps coming toward him. He looked around, and began calling out into the darkness.

"Who's there?" There was no response. "Answer me! I know you're out there." Silence. "I demand you tell me your name at once!"

Suddenly, Draco felt himself be pushed up against a wall of the corridor, his face pressed against the cold stone. He heard the _swish_ of fabric and saw a colourful cloak piled up on the floor. He knew who this cloak belonged to.

He grunted. "Potter! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"That's exactly what I want to know from you."

Draco forced himself around and held up his wand, which he had _Lumos_ed. Harry was glaring at him intensely. "What are you talking about?"

"What's the deal with you and Hermione? What did you do to make her trust you?"

Draco's eyes narrowed. Potter dared to accuse him for making Hermione trust him rather than think she chose to trust him. "I didn't do anything, but treat her the way she deserves to be treated. I know for damn sure that Weasley wasn't doing it, so someone had to."

Harry's glare stayed angry, but softened slightly at Draco's words. "As if you're any better for her! What do you want with her anyway? She's not pureblood, so what could you possibly want with her?"

Draco heard a deep growl escape through his gritted teeth. He could no longer contain his anger and, thus, allowed his rage to escape. "All I want is her! I don't give a damn about her being muggleborn! I love her for the way she is and nothing you, Weasley, my father, or anyone else says can change that!" Regaining his strength, Draco reversed their positions so that he was now holding Harry up against the stone wall. "Hermione deserves someone that will love her unconditionally, and that's how I feel!" Draco could feel his anger die as images of that beautiful brunette and her protruding belly flooded his mind. "I…I love her and the baby with all my heart." Surprisingly, he felt his grip on Harry loosen as he sank to his knees. He then realized that his confession was more directed at himself as opposed to Harry.

Draco saw Harry kneel down in front of him, his anger ceased. Harry took a deep breath before speaking. "You really mean that? All of it? Because if not, Draco, I swear-"

"Trust me, Potter. I mean it," he looked up at the raven haired boy, "I've fallen for Hermione Granger."

000

As Hermione paced around their common room, she glanced up at the clock as it chimed twice. _"He should've been back by now. I wonder what's keeping him?"_ she thought to herself. Momentarily, she stopped and glanced over at his bedroom door, a smile making its way onto her face. She shuffled across the room and entered his room. His room was much darker than hers, but still just as warm and inviting. She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. On his nightstand was a picture of them. The couple in the photo were cuddling, laughing, and kissing each other. They were so happy, it seemed unreal. She smiled brightly at the picture before standing up and walking over to his armoire. She opened it and pulled out a his black robe. She smirked at the memory of their first night in the common room. She then gathered up a pair of black pajama pants and laid both across the head of his bed. That's when she noticed the other piece of black fabric at the foot of his bed. Shivers ran up her spine as her fingers slid across the stiff fabric. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling she'd felt this cloth before. Hermione glanced around the room before carefully picking up the black material. After a few moments of examining it, she gasped, realizing what it was. It was the same cloak her attacker had worn. She heard the bedroom door behind her open. Quickly, she dropped the cloak back onto the bed and turned around, looking shocked at Draco.

Her breath was as rapid as her heartbeat. "Y-you! Draco! You're the one that attacked me?"

Draco's mouth opened and closed multiple times as he tried to say something, but words were failing him. Finally, he took a deep breath to find his voice. "Hermione, please. I realize how upset you must be, but please, let me try to explain."

"Why? You've had all this time that you could've told me and yet, you didn't. No, instead you went on and let me believe I was carrying some stranger's baby!"

"But Hermione! Please! Let me explain myself!" Draco could feel his eyes begin to water.

Hermione shoved him away and ran out of the room screaming, "Leave me alone! I never want anything to do with you! Never again, Malfoy!"

With that, Draco sank to his knees for the second time that evening. He sobbed and punched the hard floor until his hand went numb. Hermione had found out his secret and left him. The mother of his child, the woman he loved more than anything, the only thing left in his life worth caring about, was gone.


	12. Chapter 12: Broken

**A/N: eek! Great response to the last chapter. I was kind worried most of you would've given up on me, but I was happy to see some of my loyal reviewers again! Sorry for such a short chapter last time, but I felt like I cut it off at a good point. Anyway, Chapter 12: This one is completely in Draco's POV and should clear some things up for everyone. Again, it's short, but alas, I felt like it stopped at a good place. Next chapter will be Christmas! Wonder what Draco's other gift is? Hmm. Haha! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

It had been two weeks since Hermione had broken up with Draco, and those two weeks had been the longest and loneliest two weeks Draco knew. Despite his multiple attempts to talk to her, Hermione would completely ignore his presence. He understood why she was so angry, but he wished she would at least give him a chance to explain himself. In the beginning, it was all just about a night of fun with a girl he'd normally not have a chance with. He thought everything would simply go back to normal once they returned to Hogwarts. But seeing how much his selfishness had hurt her and how broken she already was, he felt a strange need to reach out to her.

And then there was the baby…_their_ baby. Draco Malfoy may come off as a cold and heartless human being, but it was all a mask created by his father. Deep inside, being a father to his own child was one of the most important things to him. He wanted to be a loving and caring father his own never was. Of course, Draco knew that Lucius loved him, even though he never received the same attention that a son should expect from a father.

And after all of that, now Draco realized that he'd fallen in love with her. His heart ached when she would ignore him. All he wanted was to feel the warmth of her skin, the softness of her hair, the smoothness of her lips, and the rhythmic beating of her heart. He missed having her by his side.

Draco sighed painfully as he continued to stare out at the Black Lake. He'd been sitting there staring and thinking all morning and halfway through lunch. He then remembered the two things he'd brought with him this morning. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the first: the unframed photo of them from his nightstand. Draco smiled sadly at the couple in the photo before setting it aside and reaching into his pocket again. This time, he pulled out the charm bracelet he'd gotten her for Christmas. He stared down at the little heart shaped charm, his heart sinking further. Out of the two things he'd gotten her, this was his favourite, and now it was useless. He still wanted to give it to her, but doubted she'd wear it or even want it now. Draco sighed again, pulling his knees to his chest and laying his head down on them. He sat there for a while until he dozed off.

_He watched the two of them from a bird's-eye view. Draco and Hermione were dancing and swaying in the middle of an elegantly decorated sitting room. Their smiles were wide and their eyes were sparkling with happiness. They stayed like that until small cries came in from the other room. Hermione turned and left the room, coming back moments later holding a tiny baby wrapped safely in a white blanket. Once Hermione was near him again, Draco leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I love you, Hermione." They exchanged smiles before Draco leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead. "And I love you, …."_

Draco's head snapped up as he awoke suddenly. "That's it. I have to talk to her. She has to listen to me." He stood up, returning the bracelet and picture to his coat pocket. As he walked up the hill towards the castle, his stomach roared from hunger. He'd forgotten to eat that morning and hoped he wasn't too late to get something quick for lunch. As he walked inside the Entrance Hall, he saw a couple groups of students leaving the Great Hall as they finished their lunches. When he walked inside, he could see Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting together at the Gryffindor table. She looked up at him and glared harshly when she saw him. He sighed and rushed over to the nearly empty Slytherin table. As soon as he sat down, he began piling food onto his plate and eating it just as quickly. A couple students near by were staring curiously at him, but he ignored their looks. All he could think about was eating fast enough so that he could leave when she did.

It was ten minutes later when the trio stood up to leave. Draco eagerly stood up and made his way to the tall wooden doors that lead out to the Entrance Hall. Harry, Hermione, and Ron left first, with Draco only a few steps behind them. They started to leave the castle, but stopped when Draco called out.

"Hermione! Please wait."

Instead, Harry turned and walked over to him, glaring. Once he was within ear shot, Harry lowered his voice to a whisper. "How dare you show your face around here. Hermione's life will never be the same because of you!"

Draco sighed in defeat. "I know."

"How long did you plan on dragging this thing out, huh? Until the baby was born? Longer? I mean, I thought you loved her?"

"I do. More than anything. That's why I want to talk to her. To explain everything." Draco inhaled deeply and looked up at Harry with wet eyes, "Potter, I'll be the first to admit that this whole thing started as just a night of fun. I know, I know. It was wrong of me to take advantage of her like that. But you know? I don't regret that night-" Harry punched him, causing Draco to hiss in pain. "I deserved that. But it's true. Yes, I regret that what I did ended up hurting her, but I don't regret being with her that night. That night is what started everything. It made me see her differently. I saw her as a beautiful, young brunette that had the most gorgeous eyes I'd ever seen and the softest skin I'd ever felt. I saw her as a girl that was hurting and needed someone to care for her. I saw her a girl whose heart was warm and open for some else's love and attention. And now…" he took a deep breath, "I see her as the mother of my child and the woman I want to be with in the future."

Harry's glare disappeared. He was silent for a while, probably trying to determine if what Draco was telling him was the truth. Without saying a word, Harry returned to where Hermione and Ron still stood. He whispered something to Hermione, earning him a glare from her. Harry whispered some more and eventually Hermione sighed, looking over at Draco. She walked over to him, stopped, and folded her arms across her chest.

"What is it, Malfoy?"

Draco stared into her eyes, seeing the pain and anger in them. "Hermione…please. Let's go up to our common room. I need to talk to you."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But make this quick." With that, she walked past him and up the stairs.

000

As the two of them sat in their common room, Draco was staring straight ahead at the blazing fire in the fireplace. He'd just revealed everything to Hermione. How he'd taken advantage of her that night at The Leaky Cauldron. How he'd used her just for his own pleasure. And then how everything had changed for him after that fateful night. How he began to see her in different, more beautiful light. How he'd fallen in love with her and their child. Now, Hermione sat there in her armchair, staring at the floor, showing no emotion.

Draco sighed. "Hermione, I don't expect you to forgive me so soon, but…" Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm bracelet. He lowered himself onto the floor so that he was kneeling in front of her. "I want you to have this. I meant to wait until Christmas, but I want you to have it now." She looked up at him, her eyes wide, as he placed the bracelet around her left wrist. "I had planned on having the charm engraved to say the baby's name on it once we decided on a name." Hermione looked down at the heart-shaped charm and saw that it read "I love you." He smiled up at her. "But, I felt that this was much more appropriate. It can be changed later, if you wish."

Hermione smiled down at the bracelet, a few tears making their way down her cheeks. Her eyes raised up to look into his silver eyes. She stared at him for a while before pulling his face to hers and kissing him with every ounce of passion she could muster up. He kissed her back just as urgently, both shocked and relieved that she seemed to forgive him. They pulled away and simply held each other in silence the rest of the night. Nothing else needed to be said. They both knew that things were going to be okay.


	13. Chapter 13: Christmas Time!

**A/N: Hey guys! There was a fairly positive response to the last chapter, which is good. I know Draco's vulnerability is kinda OOC, but I would think anyone can be vulnerable at some point when it comes to love. :] Anyway, onto Chapter 13: Christmas Time! I won't say too much about this one since I don't want to give anything away early, but at the end will be a very important poll for all of my lovely readers. I need as many people to answer it as possible, as this will be your opportunity to decide what happens in the story! :D Anyway, enjoy and review!**

As Draco lay in his bed, curled up in his warm sheets, a smile made it's way across his face as happier dreams floated into his mind. Once again, he saw himself, Hermione, and their baby. It wasn't long before Draco was pulled out of his dreams by a sudden weight falling on his waist. He grunted and forced his eyes open. Hermione was sitting on top of him, grinning from ear to ear down at him.

"Happy Christmas, Draco!" He shook his head, smiling, as she giggled happily.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione." Once she got up from his bed, he sat up and smiled at her. "I see someone's really happy this morning."

She grinned, nodding her head. "I love Christmas time." She then reached over, grabbed his hand, and began pulling him out of bed. "Come on! Let's go open presents."

Draco chuckled, following her command. As he climbed out of bed, he reached over and put on his black bathrobe before he went out to their common room with her.

There was a tall skinny tree sitting in the corner of the room. The tree was decorated in red, green, gold, and silver ribbons and glass bulbs. Underneath the tree sat three colorfully wrapped boxes. The first was a large white box with a gold ribbon wrapped around it. The other two smaller boxes were red with greens ribbons tied around them. Draco walked over to the tree, as Hermione sat down on the couch. He moved the large white and gold box over to sit in front of Hermione and then picked up the two red and green presents for himself. As he sat down beside her, he could see Hermione smiling brightly at her present. He smiled to himself knowing she would be surprised at his gift to her.

Hermione smiled over at Draco. "Open yours first, Draco. Since you already gave me my first gift, it's only fair." Draco nodded. "Okay." He picked up the first box, which was long and skinny. He pulled the ribbons loose, removed the box's lid, and looked inside to see a silver chain laying there. Smiling, he picked it up and scanned the intricate, yet simple, details of the chain. He carefully clasped the chain around his neck and smiled over at Hermione. "Well?"

She smiled back at him. "It looks very handsome one you. Do you like it?"

He nodded. "Of course I do. Now, lets see what else my dear Hermione got me." He chuckled as he picked up the smaller box and began unwrapping it. When he pulled off the lid, he saw a silver pocket watch. He picked it up out of the box and opened it. Inside, the cover had their initials, _DLM _and _HJG _engraved on it. He glanced over at the clock face and noticed the numbers had been replaced with twelve tiny emeralds. He slowly closed the pocket watch and returned his gaze to the brunette sitting beside him. "Hermione, this is amazing. How did you…?"

Hermione cut him off with a giggle. "I had a little extra saved up and wanted to get you something special." She scooted closer to him, taking the watch out of his hand and opening it. "My father has a pocket watch that my mum gave to him for their first Christmas together. I always admired it when I was a little girl. His is silver as well, except the stones are rubies."

Draco lifted her chin up so that her eyes met his. "Hermione, it's perfect. I love your gifts," he leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips, "And you."

Her eyes lit up as she smiled. "I love you, too, Draco."

He smiled back before reaching down for Hermione's present and placing it on the couch between them. "Here. It's you turn now."

She smiled brightly as she began untying the gold bow that kept the box sealed. "Draco, what on earth did you get me? This box is huge!" Draco just chuckled, shaking his head. Once the ribbon was removed, she lifted the box's lid off. Hermione gasped when a black furry face popped out of the top of the box. She lifted the cat out of the box and sat it on her lap. The cat was a little bit smaller than the average adult cat and was covered in long black fur. It's eyes were huge and appeared to be yellow. Hermione wrapped her arms around the cat, smiling with tears in her eyes. "Oh my gosh! Draco!"

Draco smiled knowing she was happy with his gift. "I know how much you loved your first cat and I thought that having something to take care of again might help you ease into motherhood. This big guy is a fairly common breed, but his size is what's amazing. The girl at the pet shop said he was just born in September."

Hermione's eyes widened. "September? But he's huge!" She looked down at the 'kitten' and now seen that the top of his head came up to her chest and his body took up half of her lap. "Hmm. I think I'll name you Tauro."

Draco gave her a questionable glance. "Tauro? Any reason why?"

She shrugged. "Tauro just seems like an appropriate name for him." She looked up Draco and smiled. "Thank you, Draco. This is the best Christmas present ever." She set the box down onto the floor and cuddled up to Draco, while still holding Tauro in her lap. They stayed like that for several minutes before Hermione spoke up again. "Oh! I almost forgot." She sat Tauro on the floor and turned around to face Draco. "Tomorrow I have an appointment with Madam Pomfrey and I want you to come with me."

He smiled back at her as he began to rub the top of her protruding belly. "Of course I'll come with you. It is our baby after all." He heard Hermione giggle and raised his eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?"

"Well think about it: if someone had told you that in your seventh year, you and I would be having a baby together and were actually happy, what would you've said?"

He chuckled quietly. "Back then? I think I'd've told them they were insane and hexed them into the next millennium."

Hermione giggled. "I think I'd've done the same." Just then, there was a low growling noise coming from her stomach. "Now I say we go downstairs and get breakfast before either of us starve to death."

Draco smirked. "I agree. Let's go get dressed and then we'll head off." They both stood up from the couch and went to their separate rooms. Inside his own, Draco hung up his bathroom and proceeded to change into a pair of dark wash jeans, a grey sweater, and his sneakers. He quickly combed his hair with his fingers and left his room. Outside, Hermione was sitting on the couch waiting for him. When she stood up, he noticed that she was wearing the green velvet dress she'd bought during her shopping trip with Ginny. Now her stomach filled the dress out properly, which made her look even sexier than normal. Draco walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He grinned, leaned down, and began to nibble on her neck and earlobe.

"Can't we skip breakfast?" he moaned into her neck.

She giggled. "We could, but the baby would be very upset with us."

He pulled away unwillingly, taking her hand, and led the way out of their common room.

Once they were in the Great Hall, they sat down beside each other at one of the long, nearly empty house tables. While Draco fixed himself a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast, Hermione served herself eggs, bacon, toast, porridge, potatoes, and several fruits. They ate in silence at first, until Draco finally decided to start a conversation. "So, how has everything been going with the baby? I feel like I've been kind of in the dark about everything."

He could see a small blush appear on her cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to leave you out. I've sort of kept most of to myself anyway. But, the baby is healthy and growing at a normal rate," she took a couple more bites of food before continuing, "By the way, I think I finally came up with a name for a boy."

He swallowed the food in his mouth, nodding. "Oh? And what were you thinking?"

She looked down at her plate nervously. "Well, it was kind of difficult finding names that went with Draco, but the other day I came up with Hayden."

Draco gave a quizzical look. "So it would be Hayden Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione nodded, smiling. "And Aimee Evangeline Malfoy."

He smiled back at her. "They're perfect. No matter which one we end up using, it'll be perfect."

**A/N: Well…there we go! Short chapter, but I wanted to get to the main point of this update: I have a question for you, the readers! This is your time to have a say in what happens in the story! I want everyone to review and tell me what you want more: Little Aimee or Hayden? You vote, I'll count the votes, and continue the story with the winning name! So make sure to vote because I want as many votes as possible!**


	14. Chapter 14: It's a

**A/N: So hey guys! Terribly sorry about my 5 month absence. I kinda gave up on all of my writing for a while due to moving around and working on a promotion at work. Anyway, due to the lack of votes from my last chapter's poll, I decided to go with what I originally had planned. I didn't see it fair to go on the word of 3 people, when I know there are a lot more readers than that. So anyway, on to Chapter 14! Another big step for this story and our lovely couple. Hope you all enjoy and review!**

Hermione was awoken by loud purring and meowing beside her head. When she opened her eyes, Tauro's big furry face was inches from hers. She smiled, reached up, and pet the top of his head. She sat up, still smiling, and threw the covers off of her. She'd been counting the days and weeks in her head. She was now seventeen weeks along and would, hopefully, be finding out what she would be having. She stood up from her bed, walked over to the armoire, and began pulling out possible outfits. She finally settled on a pair of stretchy dark wash jeans and a red kimono sleeved top. As she dressed herself, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. She had seen the baby a handful of times before, but today was the first time Draco would see their baby. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face. She felt that after today, they would be able to grow and become closer as a family.

At that thought, she stopped in the middle of pulling on her jeans. _Family._ She had a family of her own now. Of course, she'd always considered the baby her family, but now it seemed like she had a real family. She was finally going to be a mother of her own child, a secret aspiration of hers. And then there was Draco. She knew they both truly loved each other. She could feel it anytime they were together; it kind of felt like butterflies in her stomach, but it felt nice. Smiling again, she finished dressing, slipped on a pair of flats, and left her room.

A few minutes later, Draco exited his room sporting a grey t-shirt, black leather jacket, medium wash jeans, and sneakers. Immediately, Hermione met him in the middle of the room and wrapped her arms around his torso. He hugged her back a little hesitantly and raised an eyebrow at her when they pulled apart.

She simply smiled up at him. "I'm just happy that I have you in my life and as a part of my family."

Draco could feel his heart melting. After everything that had happened between them this year and every year before, she was happy to have him. And she even called him a part of her family. He smiled warmly down at her before kissing her forehead. "So am I, Hermione."

With that, the two left the common room, hand in hand, and made their way to the Hospital Wing for Hermione's appointment with Madam Pomfrey. When they reached the tall oak doors, Draco led them inside, where Madam Pomfrey was calmly awaiting Hermione's arrival. When she saw Draco, she looked a little stunned, but said nothing about it. Instead, she stepped toward her, politely smiling.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. How are you feeling?"

Hermione smiled. "Fine. Great really. I seem to have gotten over my morning sickness and I haven't had anymore really bad symptoms. Not yet, at least."

"Well, that's good to hear." Madam Pomfrey then walked over to a nearby bed and pulled the curtain back, "Are you ready for your appointment?"

Hermione nodded and walked past Madam Pomfrey to lay on the bed. When Draco went to follow her, Madam Pomfrey held up her hand to keep him out. He scowled at her, but didn't get a chance to respond.

"Let him in. I want him with me." Hermione told her matter-of-factly.

Complying, Madam Pomfrey put her hand down and allowed him to walk past her. Once he sat down in the chair on Hermione's left, Madam Pomfrey walked over to Hermione's right and pulled out her wand. A projection screen was set up next to her. As she mumbled an incantation, Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Hermione's stomach until a picture appeared on the projection screen. Suddenly, they could here a quiet, rhythmic beating sound: the baby's heart beat.

Hermione smiled over at the screen with tears in her eyes. She could see the silhouette of their baby laying comfortably inside her stomach. She could hear the heartbeat, signaling that the baby was healthy. When she looked over at Draco, she was stunned at what she saw. He was sitting there starring at the screen with a few evident tears running down his cheeks. His expression was filled with amazement and love. She smiled lovingly over at him and placed her hand on top of his, rubbing his hand with her thumb. He looked down at their hands and smiled before looking up at Hermione. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before returning his gaze to the screen. Hermione smiled at him for a few more moments before also returning to the screen.

Madam Pomfrey was concentrating on the screen. She then smiled and looked back over at Draco and Hermione. "So, do you want to know the sex of the baby?" When Hermione nodded at her, she turned back to the screen. "Do you happen to have any names picked out yet?"

Draco and Hermione exchanged glances and smiled back at Madam Pomfrey. "Aimee and Hayden," they stated simultaneously.

Madam Pomfrey smiled back at them. "Well, you've got yourself a little Aimee."

Hermione gasped and felt the tears in her eyes start to slide down her face. When she felt Draco's arm wrap around her shoulders, she smiled happily up at him. "We're having a daughter, Draco."

He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead again. "Yes we are, Hermione. Yes we are."

000

After their appointment, Draco and Hermione walked to the Great Hall together for a late breakfast. At the bottom of the stairs, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were standing together talking. Ginny looked up at them and smiled.

"Hey Hermione! Hey Draco!" She waved up at them.

Hermione smiled and waved back as they reached the bottom of the marble staircase. "Hey Ginny! Draco and I have some great news. We went to see Madam Pomfrey this morning and found out we're having a girl!"

Ginny squealed, making the three boys wince. "Oh, that's so exciting! Got any pictures?"

Hermione nodded, pulled out a number of pictures of the ultrasound, and proceeded to show them off to Ginny.

Draco silently laughed to himself and stepped over to where Harry and Ron were standing. The three of them were awkwardly silent for a while until Harry came over to Draco and patted him on the back.

Harry flashed Draco a friendly smile. "Congratulations, Malfoy."

Draco looked over at Harry, surprised, but smiled back. "Thanks, Potter." The pair then turned their attention to the redheaded male across from them.

Ron simply stood there, trying hard to not pay attention to Harry and Draco. Eventually, he gave in with a heavy sigh and gave Draco a small, semi-forced smile. "Congrats, Malfoy."

Draco returned his smile. "Thanks." After another awkward silence, he perked up and glanced back and forth between the other two males. "Have you guys eaten breakfast yet? You all could join us, if you'd like."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded at Draco.

Only a couple feet away, Ginny and Hermione were smiling brightly at the sight in front of them. Though it was doubtful the three of them would become best friends anytime soon, it seemed the boys had a mutual understanding and were trying to get along. It had been a while since Hermione had really hung out with her friends, purely because the only one who could tolerate her being with Draco had been Ginny. Hopefully, that would all be changing. She really missed talking with Harry and Ron; after all, they had been her best friends since first year. She and Ginny exchanged glances before nodding at each other and following the boys into the Great Hall for their first of many meals together.


End file.
